cosmetic
Bonding is among the easiest and least expensive of cosmetic dental procedures.
The composite resin used in bonding can be shaped and polished to match the surrounding teeth.
Most often, bonding is used for cosmetic purposes:
- To improve the appearance of a discolored or chipped tooth
- To close slight spaces between teeth
- To make teeth look longer
- Or to change the shape or color of teeth
Dr. Posey, offers a variety of cosmetic procedure to enhance your smile. Teeth whitening is the #1 requested and performed cosmetic dental procedure. Teeth whitening is a procedure that lightens teeth and helps to remove stains and discoloration.
A thin coating forms on your teeth throughout the day, which attracts stains. The tooth's enamel contains pores that hold stains. Cavities need to be treated before teeth are whitened because the whitening solution can penetrate decay and reach inner areas of the tooth, which can cause sensitivity. Receding gums can cause roots to become exposed. Whitening will not work on exposed tooth roots, because roots do not have an enamel layer. Whitening also does not work on tooth restorations such as crowns or veneers.
Whitening can be done in the dental office or at home.
The most common type of home tooth whitening involves placing a gel-like whitening solution, which usually contains hydrogen peroxide, in a tray that resembles a Nightguard or mouth guard. Over-the-counter mouthpieces are unlikely to fit correctly and can cause gum irritation if the whitening agent seeps out. The tray is then placed over the teeth for a certain period of time, anywhere from an hour or two to overnight.
One hour bleaching systems use a very bright light to activate higher bleaching concentrations to produce faster, more dramatic whitening results.
The technician will protect your mouth very carefully using cotton rolls, gauze and a liquid dam.
A special whitening lamp is used to activate the whitening gel for approximately 60 minutes.
Composite fillings are today's modern filling choice. They are made to match your tooth's natural color to make them virtually invisible to notice and are placed onto the tooth by bonding the filling material to the tooth so they do not have the unlikely chance of falling off. Many patients choose to replace their old silver and gold fillings with composite fillings.
Other Benefits:
- Beautiful in appearance
- Completed in a single visit
- No filling leaks
- Less chance of tooth cracking
Dr. Posey is a cosmetic dentist in Atlanta.
A veneer procedure is a popular cosmetic procedure. Veneers may be recommended in conjunction with other cosmetic procedures to produce optimal results.
Veneers are a thin, semi-transparent tooth shaped "shell" that are custom made of porcelain. They are permanently bonded to your natural teeth which are located in your "smile zone" to enhance their shape, color, length or size.
Veneers can fix gaps between teeth and/or improve the appearance of teeth that are discolored, misshapen or misaligned.
Procedure:
1) The teeth are cleaned and any old surface restorations are removed.
2) An impression is taken of the prepped tooth and sent to a lab where a veneer is fabricated.
3) The veneer is applied with bonding resin and curing light.
4) After the veneer is set, it is shaped and polished to look like a natural tooth.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER. For the purpose of illustrating the possibilities of today's dental procedures, this web site may include models and/or generic before and after smile case examples. These examples do not represent a certainty of case performance for any single individual. Individual before and after results will vary. Patients should consult with their dentist before making a final decision.