A smile can bring so much happiness! It is almost impossible not to smile back when someone smiles at you. However, if you feel self conscious about your smile, you may not be sharing it with other often enough. We hear alot of reasons why our patients are not thrilled with their smiles. Some people state that they have had imperfections since childhood, others have developed more recently. Others just have badly shaped or broken teeth. There are many options to help all of these problems.
Stains that develop over time can usually be removed with routine cleanings. Persistent stains generally respond well to cosmetic bleaching. We offer chairside and take home bleach options.
Permanent teeth can actually be discolored and not just stained. Some conditions that cause such discoloration include trauma to a baby tooth, an infection around a baby tooth, and high fevers or prolonged chronic illnesses during childhood can cause discolorations. Fluoride can also cause some white or brown discolorations of teeth when a child receives a high dose over a period of time. A procedure call microabrasion can help to remove these discolorations. Microabrasion is a safe, minimal treatment of discolored teeth. Attempting microabrasion does not eliminate any of the alternatives for treatment.
Some other treatments for discolored teeth are plastic or porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns. These options are less affordable and more extensive than microabrasion because they require some tooth preparation. Today a veneer placed on top of your teeth can correct nature's mistake or the results of an injury and help you have a beautiful smile.
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth. They're made by a dental technician, usually in a dental lab, working from a model provided by your dentist. You should know that this is usually an irreversible process, because it's necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the shell.
Your dentist may recommend that you avoid some foods and beverages that may stain or discolor your veneers such as coffee, tea or red wine. Sometimes a veneer might chip or fracture. But for many people the results are more than worth it.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact our office if you have questions regarding your smile!
Brian D. Johnson, D.M.D.
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell, GA30076
BrianJohnsonDMD.com
(770)993-9809
Excerpts and content courtesy of American Dental Association and the Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
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