You can’t stop time from marching on, but you can make your smile look a few decades younger with cosmetic dentistry. Using modern dental techniques, a dentist can repair damage, remove stains, and cover up everything else that comes with age. Here are three cosmetic dental procedures that can give you a flashy and youthful smile like you’ve never had before.
Cosmetic Dental Bonding Can Take a Few Years Off
After years of being exposed to pressure from chewing, teeth can accrue minor chips, cracks, and stains. Luckily, cosmetic dental bonding can fill or cover these flaws to restore a tooth to its original appearance. Using a composite resin that matches the color of your teeth, your dentist can treat these flaws before smoothing the putty-like substance out to match the natural shape and contours of your tooth. After the resin is treated with a special UV light, your smile will look good as new. This can be done in a few minutes at a normal dental appointment with no anesthesia or recovery period while being quite affordable.
Teeth Whitening Can Bleach Out Decades of Staining
While you might find plenty of whitening products at stores, teeth whitening from your dentist can produce superior results that leave your teeth up to ten shades whiter. Professional teeth whitening can treat stains, yellowing, and other discolorations, and it comes in take-home kits or in-office treatments. These treatments are also safer than store-bought options and are supervised by your dentist.
A take-home kit includes customized dental trays and a whitening gel, requiring the patient to fill the trays with the gel and wear them over their teeth for an hour every day for two weeks. For an in-office visit, your dentist will cover the soft tissues in your mouth to protect them from the whitening agent and then apply a few coats of it to your teeth. This is usually followed by a fluoride treatment and can leave a patient with tooth sensitivity for a few days.
Porcelain Veneers Can Cover Up Almost All Signs of Aging
Porcelain veneers are the open secret behind many Hollywood smiles. Veneers are small shells that cover flawed natural teeth while mimicking their color, luster, and shape, and they can be applied in as few as two appointments. They are used to treat teeth with extensive wear and tear or stains that do not respond to teeth whitening.
The process starts with your dentist shaving an insignificant bit of enamel off of the teeth to be treated before taking bite impressions and then attaching temporary veneers. The impressions are then sent to a lab so that a permanent set can be manufactured. When they are ready, you go back to your dentist’s office so they can cement the permanent veneers to your teeth. Both treatments are done under local anesthesia, rendering them painless.
Each of these treatments can remove traces of aging from your teeth. If you want to look less long in the tooth, consulting with your dentist can help determine if any of these treatments are right for you.
About the Practice
Rancho Park Dental Group provides patients with the flexibility to customize their own dental experiences in Los Angeles, CA. Led by Drs. Nicole Sassounian and Albert Silvera, the dedicated staff delivers world-class service with the latest techniques and technology. Specialties include general, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dentistry such as cosmetic dental bonding, teeth whitening, and porcelain veneers. If you’re interested in a more youthful smile, contact the office online or dial the front desk at (310) 575-0886.