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"Is there really a difference between a traditional dentist and a cosmetic dentist? To patients who thought their smile could never be improved, the difference is often as stark as night and day."
Ron VanWechel, DDS
Ron VanWechel, DDS
What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
A cosmetic dentist looks at all interacting components of a patient's teeth, gums, mouth and jaw and strives to make them all come together in the most attractive and natural manner. Rather than treat one tooth at a time, the cosmetic dentist concentrates on the overall effect of the patient's smile. Part artist and part technician, the cosmetic dentist sees the potential for form and beauty in a smile and employs knowledge, skill and technical expertise to transform that potential into reality.
Have you ever wanted to change your smile? If the thought has occasionally crossed your mind when you looked in the mirror, a consultation with a cosmetic dentist might be just the thing for you. Because most dental practices focus only on what you need at the time of your appointment, you're not likely to hear a traditional dentist ask you if there's something about your smile you'd like to change. The cosmetic dentist will ask. And the cosmetic dentist will listen and take notes as you describe the smile you've always wanted. More importantly, the cosmetic dentist will bring skills and techniques that are only taught in the most advanced courses in dentistry to address your particular situation.
REASONS TO IMPROVE YOUR SMILE
The reasons people come to a cosmetic dentist are as varied as people themselves. Here are some of the more frequently stated reasons that patients give for wanting to enhance their smiles:
• The most obvious reason, of course, is to improve your appearance. In this era of marvelous advances in dentistry, there’s no longer a valid reason for anyone to live with ugly metal crowns, irregular gums, aching jaws, broken teeth, stained teeth or teeth with huge gaps. Nearly everyone can have a beautiful smile.
• Another, less obvious reason is so you can chew your food better. When your teeth fit together properly, you can chew better—and when you chew better, your digestive system is able to extract the vitamins and nutrients your body needs for optimum health. If your teeth don’t fit together, for whatever reason, your overall health is adversely impacted.
• Another not-so-obvious reason is so you can gain relief from chronic pain. A surprising number of people suffer from pain caused by strain on the muscles of the jaw. When your teeth and your jaw structure don’t compliment each other, your jaw muscles become strained, often resulting in earaches, headaches and pain in your cheeks or under your jaw. Sometimes something as small as a poorly placed crown can change the relationship of your teeth, preventing them from coming together as they should. The result is often persistent pain.
CHANGING TOOTH SIZE, SHAPE & PROPORTION
There are specific physiological and dental principles that guide a cosmetic dentist in creating the smile you’ve always wanted. In creating an attractive smile, a skilled cosmetic dentist will actually change the size and shape of a patient’s teeth to complement his or her face. In many cases, the change in the patient’s appearance is so dramatic that it is described as “life changing.”
It is the objective of the cosmetic dentist to deliver an attractive smile, while at the same time, restoring optimal dental form and function. In other words, to provide a total solution to the patient’s problem.
TOOTH COLORED FILLINGS
If you still have those old fashioned, dark metallic fillings, it may be time for a change. Natural looking, tooth-colored fillings (sometimes called composites, resins, onlays or inlays) have been available for years. With this process, your old mercury fillings are removed (along with any decay) and replaced with a porcelain material that is chemically bonded to your teeth for a longer lasting, more attractive filling.
Some of the other benefits of tooth colored fillings include:
• They make the tooth stronger because they’re actually bonded into the matrix of the tooth structure and hold the tooth together.
• They don’t expand and contract like metal fillings. When you drink hot coffee or eat cold ice cream, silver fillings expand and contract, sometimes causing teeth to crack.
• They are a more conservative treatment. Much less of the tooth needs to be removed for a bonded restoration.
• They look better. They look so natural that they’re virtually invisible.
Is there a downside? Tooth-colored materials cost more than silver fillings because they take longer to place. However, most people feel the clinical benefits outweigh the marginal increase in cost.
CROWNS
Crowns (also called caps) restore damaged, cracked or broken teeth. They are placed over damaged teeth, covering the entire outer surface to provide support and improve function. Crowns are the treatment of choice when most of the tooth structure is gone and there is insufficient functional support for a filling or inlay.
TRADITIONAL PORCELAIN VENEERS
Porcelain veneers are used to rapidly transform crooked, stained or badly worn teeth into beautiful smiles.
Veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are bonded to the front surface of your teeth. First, the surfaces of your teeth are reshaped by removing a small portion. Precise models are made, and your customized veneers are hand fabricated by a dental laboratory which specializes in veneers. (You will have temporary veneers to wear during the fabrication period.) When your permanent veneers are placed, a special curing light is used to bond them in place. The result is a beautiful, natural-looking smile. And as an added bonus, porcelain veneers are more resistant than your natural teeth to stains from coffee, tea, red wine and cigarettes.
MINIMAL-PREP/NO-PREP VENEERS
Because one type of veneer will not necessarily fit the needs of every patient, Dr. VanWechel has researched and become proficient in the application of several different types of veneers. In addition to the traditional veneers described above, he offers his patients the convenience of Minimal-Prep or No-Prep Veneers.
TEETH WHITENING
The most commonly expressed request made by patients is “make my teeth whiter.”
Teeth whitening is today's answer to dull, lifeless smiles. Even people who smoke or have tooth discoloration problems have found that it can dramatically change the appearance of their teeth without a negative impact on enamel, gum tissue or existing fillings.
• Another, less obvious reason is so you can chew your food better. When your teeth fit together properly, you can chew better—and when you chew better, your digestive system is able to extract the vitamins and nutrients your body needs for optimum health. If your teeth don’t fit together, for whatever reason, your overall health is adversely impacted.
• Another not-so-obvious reason is so you can gain relief from chronic pain. A surprising number of people suffer from pain caused by strain on the muscles of the jaw. When your teeth and your jaw structure don’t compliment each other, your jaw muscles become strained, often resulting in earaches, headaches and pain in your cheeks or under your jaw. Sometimes something as small as a poorly placed crown can change the relationship of your teeth, preventing them from coming together as they should. The result is often persistent pain.
CHANGING TOOTH SIZE, SHAPE & PROPORTION
There are specific physiological and dental principles that guide a cosmetic dentist in creating the smile you’ve always wanted. In creating an attractive smile, a skilled cosmetic dentist will actually change the size and shape of a patient’s teeth to complement his or her face. In many cases, the change in the patient’s appearance is so dramatic that it is described as “life changing.”
It is the objective of the cosmetic dentist to deliver an attractive smile, while at the same time, restoring optimal dental form and function. In other words, to provide a total solution to the patient’s problem.
TOOTH COLORED FILLINGS
If you still have those old fashioned, dark metallic fillings, it may be time for a change. Natural looking, tooth-colored fillings (sometimes called composites, resins, onlays or inlays) have been available for years. With this process, your old mercury fillings are removed (along with any decay) and replaced with a porcelain material that is chemically bonded to your teeth for a longer lasting, more attractive filling.
Some of the other benefits of tooth colored fillings include:
• They make the tooth stronger because they’re actually bonded into the matrix of the tooth structure and hold the tooth together.
• They don’t expand and contract like metal fillings. When you drink hot coffee or eat cold ice cream, silver fillings expand and contract, sometimes causing teeth to crack.
• They are a more conservative treatment. Much less of the tooth needs to be removed for a bonded restoration.
• They look better. They look so natural that they’re virtually invisible.
Is there a downside? Tooth-colored materials cost more than silver fillings because they take longer to place. However, most people feel the clinical benefits outweigh the marginal increase in cost.
CROWNS
Crowns (also called caps) restore damaged, cracked or broken teeth. They are placed over damaged teeth, covering the entire outer surface to provide support and improve function. Crowns are the treatment of choice when most of the tooth structure is gone and there is insufficient functional support for a filling or inlay.
TRADITIONAL PORCELAIN VENEERS
Porcelain veneers are used to rapidly transform crooked, stained or badly worn teeth into beautiful smiles.
Veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are bonded to the front surface of your teeth. First, the surfaces of your teeth are reshaped by removing a small portion. Precise models are made, and your customized veneers are hand fabricated by a dental laboratory which specializes in veneers. (You will have temporary veneers to wear during the fabrication period.) When your permanent veneers are placed, a special curing light is used to bond them in place. The result is a beautiful, natural-looking smile. And as an added bonus, porcelain veneers are more resistant than your natural teeth to stains from coffee, tea, red wine and cigarettes.
MINIMAL-PREP/NO-PREP VENEERS
Because one type of veneer will not necessarily fit the needs of every patient, Dr. VanWechel has researched and become proficient in the application of several different types of veneers. In addition to the traditional veneers described above, he offers his patients the convenience of Minimal-Prep or No-Prep Veneers.
TEETH WHITENING
The most commonly expressed request made by patients is “make my teeth whiter.”
Teeth whitening is today's answer to dull, lifeless smiles. Even people who smoke or have tooth discoloration problems have found that it can dramatically change the appearance of their teeth without a negative impact on enamel, gum tissue or existing fillings.