I routinely do various cosmetic procedures that enable my patients to achieve a great smile. The most common cosmetic procedures are bonding (resin material), veneers (which are made of porcelain) and full crowns (also made of porcelain or porcelain bonded to metal). Many patients acheive very successful and satisfying results on a daily basis. Here is some insight for how these procedures work:
- Cosmetic Bonding – Cosmetic bonding is used to improve appearance by applying a tooth-colored composite resin material to your tooth. This resin material is composed of ground up glass beads and a resin matrix. We put an etch and a bond on the tooth, then we apply this material, hit it with a light, shape and polish it and you’re on your way. The advantage of dental bonding is that it’s a quick fix; generally you can acquire the results that you want in one visit. So when a person leaves the office their appearance is fixed.
- Porcelain Veneers – A dental veneer is a permanent placement of a porcelain material that is manufactured or made in a laboratory. It’s fired up in a kiln at about 1650 degrees and your end result is a piece of porcelain that goes over the front of your tooth and very little of the back of your tooth. It’s bonded on and it’s a permanent restoration. Porcelain veneers are primarily used to fix tooth color but they are also used to change the shape of your teeth, the size of your teeth or they can be used to close spaces in your mouth and change your aesthetics. First an impression is taken; it’s sent out to the laboratory, the veneers are fabricated and then at the next visit the veneers are tried on. We wait for patient approval and once the patient approves the way they look, we bond them all in. Generally, we do all the veneers that are necessary in one visit so that the same batch of material is used for the entire mouth so there is no variation in color. It’s a very permanent, very nice and thorough form of cosmetic dentistry.
- Full Crowns – A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is placed over a tooth in order to restore its shape, size, strength and appearance.
Call my office if you have any questions. We are always ready to help you achieve the smile that you desire! You will be in very good hands!
– Dr. John R. Vitale
