Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dental procedures improve the look of your teeth and enhance your smile, but it’s important to remember than beauty depends on good health. If your teeth and gums are unhealthy, just the act of restoring your mouth to optimal dental health will usually improve the beauty of your teeth, gums, and smile.

Remember, cosmetic dentistry is not intended to cover-up unhealthy teeth and gums. These are procedures that can be performed on healthy teeth to correct aesthetic defects that might be unsightly or annoying, but are not otherwise dangerous to your health or indicative of an underlying medical condition. If you have, or are concerned that you may have, an underlying medical concern, don’t panic. There are many preventative and restorative dental procedures available to make your smile healthy and attractive.

Cosmetic Dental Procedures

Procedures done primarily for smile enhancement are:

  • Tooth Whitening – a chemical process that removes discolorations and stains, and restores your smile to a brilliant white.
  • Tooth Contouring – a procedure that uses a laser to subtly change the shape of certain teeth so they fit better with their neighbors or with the opposing teeth on the other jaw.
  • Porcelain Veneers - thin porcelain “shells” that are affixed to the front of teeth to provide a clean, bright, healthy looking smile. Veneers quickly take care of many small defects on front teeth, such as slight crookedness, small gaps or chips, and shallow cracks. Dental health is not threatened by these defects.
  • Gum Recontouring - uses a soft tissue laser to slightly change the gum line or amount of gum tissue, revealing more of the teeth. It is a quick way to correct a “gummy” smile.
  • Porcelain Fillings - much more attractive than metal fillings; however, some insurance companies will only cover metal amalgam fillings.
  • Dental Bonding - a versatile treatment that can correct minor defects such as gaps, chips, staining and cracks. The dental bonding substance is also used for white fillings as an alternative to porcelain.

Before choosing which cosmetic dental procedure is right for you, we would need to discuss your specific dental needs and wants, and contact your insurance company to see what they might cover.