Expert Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures in Santa Rosa, CA
The practice of dentistry encompasses an amazing array of services and procedures, all with a common goal: to help you to preserve your natural teeth as long as possible, ensure your oral health, and keep you looking and feeling great throughout life.
There’s so much that can be done these days with cosmetic dentistry to improve the appearance of a person’s smile — at any age. From powerful, professional whitening treatments to amazingly realistic porcelain veneers to state-of-the-art dental implants, there’s a wide range of exciting possibilities.
The first step in any smile makeover is a thorough dental examination to make sure that your cosmetic problems really are just that, and not a sign of underlying dental disease. Once your health has been established, your smile can be enhanced with cosmetic dentistry in a variety of ways.
When to Visit the Dentist
Many people only go to the dentist when something is wrong. That is truly a shame, because they are missing out on so many preventive services that can save discomfort — and expense — down the road. Regular dental visits are essential to make sure oral health problems — from tooth decay to oral cancer — are detected and treated in a timely manner. Some individuals may need to see the dentist more often than others to stay on top of problems like plaque buildup and gum disease, but everyone should go at least once per year.
Your regular dental visits will include a thorough oral exam to check the health of your teeth and gums; and oral cancer screening to spot any suspicious signs early; and a professional cleaning to remove stubborn deposits and make your teeth look and feel great. So don’t miss out on the many benefits dentistry offers you and your family!
Your Smile Makeover
The most important job you have as a member of your own smile makeover team is to communicate exactly what you don’t like about your smile and how you’d like it to be different. Before the first consultation, give some thought to the following questions:
- What do you like or dislike about the color, size, shape and spacing of your teeth?
- Are you pleased with how much your teeth show, both when you smile and when your lips are relaxed?
- Do you want teeth that are perfectly aligned and a bright “Hollywood White,” or would you prefer a more natural look with slight color, shape and shade variations?
- Would you like more or less of your gums to show when you smile?
It is extremely helpful for you to bring in pictures you have collected — of smiles you like, smiles you don’t like, and/or photos of the way your own smile used to look, if that’s the result you’re aiming for. Now is the time to get started on creating a smile that will make you feel as good as you look!
Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures
Modern dentistry offers a wide range of services to make sure your teeth stay healthy, function well and look great. These procedures include:
If you are missing teeth, it is crucial to replace them. Without all your teeth, chewing and eating can destabilize your bite and cause you discomfort. When teeth are missing, your mouth can shift and even cause your face to look older. Implants are a great way to replace your missing teeth, and if properly maintained, can last a lifetime!
An implant is a new tooth made of metal and porcelain that looks just like your natural tooth. It’s composed of two main parts: one part is the titanium implant body that takes the place of the missing root, and the second part is the tooth-colored crown that is cemented on top of the implant. With implant treatment, you can smile confidently knowing no one will ever suspect you have a replacement tooth.
In addition to tooth replacement, implants may be used to anchor dentures, especially lower dentures that tend to shift when you talk or chew. For patients with removable partial dentures, implants can replace missing teeth so you have a more natural-looking smile.
Dental implants are the revolutionary way to replace one or more missing teeth. They are a permanent, stable way to complete your smile. You don’t need to remove them, and they won’t move around when you are speaking or eating, unlike partials and dentures. Your dentists at Santa Rosa Dental Care in Santa Rosa, CA want you to know the benefits of dental implants and why they are the modern way to replace your missing teeth.
Dental implants are created from titanium, a very strong material that is also biocompatible, gentle to soft tissue and bone. In fact, after an implant is placed, your bone will grow around it and fuse to the implant, locking it in place. The titanium implant functions as the “root” of your missing tooth. After your bone has healed completely around the implant, your Santa Rosa dentist will cap the implant with a beautiful, lifelike porcelain crown. Your dental implant will look and feel completely natural.
Dental implants are a permanent addition to your smile, and with proper care, they can last a lifetime. They are also stain resistant and don’t ever decay. Dental implants are the modern solution to replace missing teeth and can offer many advantages. Your Santa Rosa dentist wants you to know some of the reasons people choose dental implants over other methods of tooth replacement:
- How natural-looking dental implants are, because they look just like your natural teeth
- How convenient dental implants are, because you clean them just like your natural teeth and never have to take them out
- How secure and stable dental implants are, because they become embedded in your bone, and are a permanent part of your smile
- How conservative dental implant treatment is, because only the implant area is prepared, not the adjacent teeth, unlike dental bridgework
Dental implants also help you to retain the bone in your jaw, restoring a firm jawline and youthful facial contours. Removable appliances, on the other hand, can press against your jaw, causing your bone to diminish over time.
Are you interested in Dental Implants? Call Santa Rosa Dental Care in Santa Rosa, CA at 707-546-0429 today!
Is your smile flawed by cracked or chipped teeth? Have your teeth become stained, discolored, or yellowed over time? If your smile is affected by these or other cosmetic dental flaws, veneers might be right for you. Dental veneers are very thin, tooth-shaped shells that are attached to the front of the teeth to correct cosmetic dental flaws and enhance the beauty of your smile.
Your dentists at Santa Rosa Dental Care in Santa Rosa, CA want to tell you the facts about porcelain veneers and why they are the state of the art way to improve your smile.
Porcelain veneers are one of the most versatile treatments available to fix many esthetic issues with your front teeth. They can restore your smile to greatness by fixing front teeth that are:
- Damaged or broken by injuries, accidents or trauma
- Cracked, chipped or unevenly worn from aging and other factors
- Overlapped or rotated due to genetics and other factors
- Spaced or gapped apart or improperly aligned
- Heavily stained or discolored from coffee, smoking or medications
Porcelain veneers are an investment in your smile that will pay many dividends. These are just some of the reasons why people in Santa Rosa, CA choose porcelain veneers:
- Porcelain veneers are natural-looking. They have a translucent quality that reflects light just like your natural teeth.
- They look delicate and beautiful, but they are durable, strong, and will last for many years.
- They are stain resistant, remaining sparkling white. They are the perfect choice for smokers and coffee drinkers who still want a white, beautiful smile.
- Porcelain veneer treatment is conservative because very little of precious tooth structure is removed to place the veneers.
Creating a New Smile with Porcelain Veneers
The first step in creating a new smile with porcelain veneers is to communicate exactly what you don’t like about your smile with your Santa Rosa dentist. It’s a great idea to bring in pictures of smiles you do like, as a starting point for discussion. It’s possible to see how veneers would look on your teeth in one of several ways. A model of your teeth can be created over which wax “veneers” can be placed; sometimes acrylic (plastic) or tooth-colored filling material can be placed directly onto your teeth to demonstrate the effect veneers would have on them.
Once the plan has been agreed upon between you and your Santa Rosa dentist, your teeth will be prepared by removing a small amount of enamel, if this step is necessary. Molds of your teeth will be taken and used by a skilled dental laboratory to create your veneers, and you will receive a temporary set of veneers to wear during the few weeks it will take to create your permanent veneers. When the veneers come back from the lab, they will be cemented onto your teeth by your Santa Rosa dentist.
Caring for Your Veneers
Just like the teeth nature gave you, teeth restored with veneers need gentle brushing and flossing every day. This will remove dental plaque and ensure good gum tissue health around the veneers. Regular checkups at the dental office will remain as important as always to your oral and general health. And keep in mind that as tough as veneers are, they may not be able to withstand forces that come from using your teeth as tools (to open packages, for example) or biting into very hard foods like candy apples — which isn’t good for your natural teeth, either! And if you grind or clench your teeth at night, you might be advised to get a custom-made nightguard to protect your veneers — and your investment.
When you use teeth whitening products from a pharmacy or supermarket, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the results that you’re looking for. Some products could also irritate your gums if they aren’t used properly. The better option is to have a professional take care of the job. Learn about the advantages of teeth whitening by Santa Rosa, CA dentists who are experienced in cosmetic dentistry, like the dentists of Santa Rosa Dental Care.
Why People Opt For Teeth Whitening
Professional teeth whitening is an important cosmetic procedure offered by dentists. It’s important because you can have the straightest and most perfectly shaped smile, but it doesn’t matter much if your teeth are yellow or discolored. A survey by the American Association of Orthodontists found that close to 90 percent of patients ask their dentists about in-office teeth whitening, which is also called “chairside bleaching.”
What to Expect at a Whitening Appointment
The majority of the time you spend at your professional whitening appointment will be spent laying back and relaxing. After protecting your gums, your Santa Rosa dentist will gently apply a bleaching gel to the surface of your teeth and then use a laser curing light tool to activate the gel. After you relax for about an hour, the dentist will remove the gel and reveal your new smile.
Benefits of Teeth Whitening
There are two categories of benefits of having your teeth whitened professionally—immediate and overall. The immediate benefits include brightening up your appearance in one relatively short appointment by up to eight shades. If you try other whitening solutions, like over the counter products, you will have to wait much longer for results. The overall benefits of having your teeth whitened by a dentist include:
- Increased self-confidence.
- Younger appearance (people with whiter teeth are generally perceived as younger).
- Better social experience (people tend to trust people who have nice smiles more).