It might not seem too surprising, but cosmetic dentistry has become increasingly popular in the United States. Everyone is looking to both look and feel their best, and a beautiful smile is a major part of this. In fact, a smile is one of the first features most people notice. This is where cosmetic dentistry from your Spokane Valley dentist comes into play!
What does cosmetic dentistry focus on?
Cosmetic dentistry primarily focuses on the aesthetics of your smile rather than the health and function of your teeth and gums. Cosmetic dentistry gives patients the smiles they’ve been looking for, from whitening to recontouring to replacing missing teeth. When you are looking to change the look of your smile, rather minor or drastic, then cosmetic dentistry is the answer.
Do cosmetic dentistry procedures look natural?
From more conservative treatments to more aggressive procedures, cosmetic dentistry can offer anyone a more attractive smile. Advancements in dental technology have also created more natural, tooth-like options and materials then ever before, so no one will ever be able to tell that you have received restorative dental work.
Botox
For years Botox has helped so many men and women successfully treat wrinkles and facial creases. As people age, they long for a more youthful appearance. Botox is able to give them this.
Botox blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles. The injected muscle is then not able to contract. This causes the wrinkles to relax and soften. Botox is typically used on the forehead lines, around the eyes, and frown lines. Typically wrinkles are caused as we age, but they are also brought on by sun damage and gravity.
Full Mouth Reconstruction
We usually recommend complex full-mouth rehabilitation when patients have multiple problems in their mouths. We help people who are suffering from gum disease, discoloration, tooth decay, crooked teeth, and other problems, usually all at the same time.
Before we start your rehabilitation, we will need to do a thorough examination with X-rays to determine what treatments you will need. Since every mouth is different, we create a treatment plan just for you.
Smile Makeover
A smile makeover uses cosmetic dental procedures to make you proud of your smile. We perform teeth whitening, along with other cosmetic procedures like veneers and tooth implants.
Each smile makeover is different. We start by doing a thorough examination and decide what each patient wants and needs. We look at the color of your teeth and how they are all lined up. We check to see if there are any missing teeth or if any are cracked, chipped, or broken.
Our goal is to give you a healthy and happy smile.We want you to have a bright smile, along with teeth that line up correctly and are aesthetically pleasing. We work with our patients to ensure their happiness. We will do whatever we can so that, when you leave our office, you will be completely happy with your smile.
All-On-4 Implants
All-on-4® treatment provides patients with a full-arch prosthesis over four implants on the day of surgery. All-on-4® is designed to give edentulous patients full function of their mouth and full mouth restoration. It’s heavily advertised as providing 4 implants, but some situations may require more.
All-on-4® overdentures reduce the complexity of treatment, the number of surgeries, and the overall treatment time. It is less expensive compared with fixed implants.
All-on-4® dental implants, also known as hybrid dentures, use high-end denture teeth and acrylic for the best aesthetics, making it the most cost effective choice for any future repairs.
Veneers
If you’re unhappy with the color, shape, or positioning of a tooth, veneers are a possible option. They’re a thin wafer of porcelain that is permanently bonded to a tooth as a permanent mask. Because veneers last for such a long time, it’s important that you go to a skilled dentist for this procedure. You can add veneers to multiple teeth or just one depending on your desired results. A consultation with Dr. Wilder will help you learn more about what’s possible with veneers.
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Dentures
Full or partial tooth loss can increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies and whole body health diseases. Fortunately, you can restore your propensity to chew, speak, and smile with dentures.
Immediate Dentures: These are usually just a temporary way to transition into full dentures. Immediate dentures can be placed right after your tooth extraction procedure, so you won’t have to go a day without a full set of beautiful teeth.
Conventional Full Dentures: After you give your gums some time to heal, we can create customized permanent dentures that will conform flawlessly to your mouth. We will carefully craft your new dentures to look natural and appealing. Dentures are held in place by a pink plastic base that forms a seal with the gums. After you become accustomed to your dentures, chewing and speaking will become easy again.
Implant Supported Dentures: Implant supported dentures are the most stable way to restore your full and complete smile. Two or more dental implants will be placed into the jawbone to anchor the dentures into your mouth. This option provides a great balance of comfort and aesthetics.
Partial Dentures: Partial dentures are usually made with a metal base that connects to healthy teeth on either side of a gap. Partial dentures may be the right choice for patients who still have strong teeth remaining in the mouth.
Denture Partials
A removable partial denture is an optimal solution for patients who may be missing one or more teeth in a particular area of their mouth. Removable partial dentures are attached to a gum-colored base which may have a metal framework that helps to hold it in place against the surrounding teeth. These dentures serve to replace missing teeth, restore functionality, and generally improve oral health. When a tooth is lost, and the gap isn’t immediately filled, it can lead to the neighboring teeth to shift; this can create a significant change in your bite and can even cause long-term damage to your gums and jaw bone.
To begin treatment, we will determine if removable partial dentures are the best option for you. Factors such as oral hygiene, the location of the missing tooth gap(s), bone strength, and long-term viability for dentures all determine your treatment plan. Our team will start by taking dental impressions of your teeth which will serve as the mold used to create your dentures. Next, we will review the size, shape, and coloring of each replacement tooth to recreate your natural smile. Once these are determined, we send the molds to a dental lab which creates a mock-up partial denture for you.
During a fitting appointment with our team, we will have you test out the mock-ups to check how they fit, look, and feel in your mouth. This is the time you and our team will make adjustments to the fit or color of the teeth before sending the mock-ups back to the lab for alterations. Remember, your absolute honesty is needed as your feedback shapes the final removable partial denture you will be receiving. Once the final changes have been made to the mock-up, the lab will custom build your dentures. After we receive the final design, your last fitting session will be to make small adjustments for comfort, bite, or fit which can all be made in-house by our team.
Porcelain Crowns
Getting porcelain crowns is the best way to have a very natural looking smile. They are used when simply filling in a tooth is not an option. There are times when they decay is so bad that we just have to use a porcelain crown. We also use them with severely damaged teeth or teeth that have already had multiple fillings. Porcelain crowns are attached right to your teeth so that they can function, even when you bite something really hard! There are several types of porcelain crowns so it is important to discuss which type is best for you with your dentist.
- Replace a large filling when there is little tooth structure remaining
- Protect a weak tooth from fracturing
- Restore a fractured tooth
- Attach a bridge
- Cover a dental implant
- Cover a discolored or poorly shaped tooth
- Cover a tooth that has had root canal treatment
Bonding
Dental bonding is a brief procedure that includes the application of a tooth-colored resin to an imperfect tooth. Dr. Wilder will place the bonding in a shade that matches your natural smile. He will seal the material to the tooth with the use of a special light. Bonding can improve your smile after just a few minutes in the dental chair.
- An inexpensive way to improve your smile
- Not as invasive as crowns or veneers
- Can usually be completed in a single office visit
- Comfortable enough to be done without anesthesia, in most cases
Bonding may be a good option for patients with the following dental issues:
- Decayed teeth: Attractive and strong composite resin can fill in cavities. Bonding is a great alternative to amalgam fillings.
- Cracked or chipped teeth: If you have one or more chipped teeth, you can restore them with dental bonding. Within moments, bonding will restore the teeth to their best appearance and ultimate strength.
- Gaps between teeth: Bonding can seamlessly close small gaps between the teeth.
- Discolored teeth: For discolored or hard-to-whiten teeth, bonding will create the appearance of a strikingly white smile.
- Misshapen teeth: You can quickly correct misshapen teeth with a little bit of bonding.