Thanks to advancements in the field of cosmetic dentistry, patients today have access to many tools to correct or improve their smile that are affordable, attainable, and can be done in weeks as opposed to years of treatment. [pullquote]A smile makeover to correct misshapen teeth is a boost to your self-confidence…[/pullquote]

Teeth that are uneven, have unsightly gaps, are stained, or have been chipped can be treated with one of many solutions.

Veneers – A dental veneer is a wafer thin, tooth colored shell that is permanently cemented on the front of the teeth that need correction. A veneer may be used to cover one or multiple teeth.

Your cosmetic dentist will be able to match the contour and color of the veneers to precisely match the surrounding teeth, making your dental veneers undistinguishable from your natural teeth.

Since the veneers are placed over your own teeth, this procedure is less invasive and involves removing only a small amount of the enamel of the tooth to be covered. In a couple of brief visits, your cosmetic dentist can virtually make misshapen or stained teeth disappear.

Bonding – For teeth that have sustained intrinsic stains that are not removable with a professional cleaning or whitening, a solution may be dental bonding.

The dentist will prepare the teeth to be bonded by roughing them up a bit to enhance the ability of the bonding agent. A thin amount of tooth colored composite resin material is carefully placed on prepared teeth and hardened with a curing light. The teeth are then smoothed and polished.

Bonding is also used for teeth that may have small chips or to improve the appearance of teeth that have sustained gum recession. The bonding will be placed to cover the bony part of the tooth that has been exposed from brushing too firmly or due to aging. Upon completion, teeth no longer show wear and tear.

Crowns – For teeth that are too severely worn for veneers or bonding to successfully repair the teeth, a crown may be suitable to save a salvageable tooth. A dental crown can be made from many different materials, and depending which tooth is to be treated your dental provider will recommend the most suitable solution.

A smile makeover to correct misshapen teeth is a boost to your self-confidence, and thanks to your cosmetic dentist is easily attainable.

If you are interested in a smile makeover and would like to know what your best options are, call Governor’s Park Dental Group in Denver to schedule an informative consultation.

As with any major dental procedure, the placement of dental implants involves a certain recovery period. Patients can take steps to prepare for this process to make it go more smoothly.

The most important thing to do is talk with your implant dentist so that you’ll know what symptoms are normal and which ones may indicate a problem requiring medical attention. Your dentist can also recommend supplies that you’ll need to have on hand when you return home.

In the hours immediately following the procedure, it is not unusual for patients to continue to experience some light bleeding. You can address this issue by biting down on gauze or black tea bags (the tannins in the tea help to stop the bleeding). An ice pack can also help to reduce bleeding, along with any post-surgical swelling that may occur. [pullquote]Dental implants can be life-changing appliances, and successfully navigating the healing process gives patients a better chance of enjoying those benefits for decades.[/pullquote]

Any discomfort can often be managed with over-the-counter painkillers. If those aren’t effective for you, the dentist can give a prescription-strength medication instead.

Patients are encouraged to stick to a soft diet in the first few days after the surgery. This is both for patient comfort and to avoid disrupting the healing process.

If you smoke, the dentist will request that you refrain from lighting up for at least a week after the dental implants are placed. Ideally, this experience may prompt you to give up the habit for good, as smoking can interfere with the healing process.

A regimen of antibiotics might be prescribed to prevent infection following dental implant placement. If you get a prescription for antibiotics, be sure to take them as directed and for the entire length of time recommended.

After the initial few weeks of healing, the dental implants will fuse with the underlying bone. This osseointegration process gives the implants their permanence, and it requires the patient to be conscientious about a good oral hygiene routine to reduce the presence of plaque and bacteria that may interfere with osseointegration.

Dental implants can be life-changing appliances, and successfully navigating the healing process gives patients a better chance of enjoying those benefits for decades.

For additional information, contact Smiles Unlimited Dental Centre, serving Vancouver and surrounding areas, to schedule your dental implant consultation today.

An attractive, healthy looking smile extends far beyond the health of your mouth; indeed, many people believe that brushing and flossing is all it takes to ensure that a winning smile stays that way.

However, not everyone is blessed with perfect teeth, and for most people, there are some imperfections we would want to address – from staining and discoloration, to widening a narrow smile. Developments in cosmetic dentistry, however, mean that a huge range of treatments – from veneers to teeth whitening and dental implants – are available to address most concerns a person might have with their smile. [pullquote]Veneers are typically constructed from thin porcelain, and they can be customized to fit the patients mouth in a range of ways, from size to coloration so that a narrow smile can be broadened with ease.[/pullquote]

For a narrow smile, where the smile appears constricted due to the teeth pointing down or inwards towards the interior of the mouth while the front teeth point outwards and so appearing more prominent, is an ideal candidate for improvement by a cosmetic dentist, and a popular method of widening this type of smile is through the use of veneers. Veneers are small, thin shells that are affixed onto existing teeth by a cosmetic dentist in such a fashion that they can alter the look of the patient’s smile to produce desired results and appearance.

Veneers are typically constructed from thin porcelain, and they can be customized to fit the patients mouth in a range of ways, from size to coloration so that a narrow smile can be broadened with ease. Teeth can appear realigned, or appear longer or fuller through the use of a simple, yet highly effective technique.

A cosmetic dentist removes a small amount of a patient’s tooth enamel in preparation for the tooth to receive the veneer; dental imprints are taken and the veneers are then manufactured according to the desired result in a dental lab. Once the veneers have been delivered back to the dentist, he bonds the veneers into place on top of the teeth to produce the enhanced smile.

The end result is not just a smile that is more attractive, but also natural looking as the veneers are translucent; allowing the teeth’s natural color to shine through.

Veneers can be used to treat other smile anomalies too, not just narrow smiles – teeth that are slightly misaligned, severely stained teeth or damaged teeth can all be treated with dental veneers, so whatever imperfection your smile might have, there’s an excellent chance a cosmetic dentist can address your concerns through the use of dental veneers.

To find out if you are a candidate for dental veneers, contact Governor’s Park Dental Group serving Denver CO today to schedule your personal consultation.

Dental implants are permanent, artificial tooth roots that are used to replace lost teeth. The artificial roots fuse with the jawbone, and are then covered with a cap that is color-matched to the rest of the teeth. Dental implants are low-maintenance, and look and feel like natural teeth.

Not everyone is an automatic candidate for dental implants, however. Patients with existing bone loss in the jaw may require bone grafts so the jaw can support the implants. Patients who grind their teeth will also need to take steps to correct their habit.

Grinding or clenching of the teeth, also known as bruxism, exerts large amounts of pressure on the implants. This is especially true of people who clench their jaws at night. The unconscious person clenches much more tightly than a person who is awake, which can do extra harm.

Clenching your jaw when you have dental implants can cause the bone surrounding the dental implant to erode. Bone loss could lead to possible implant failure, where the post itself comes loose and no longer supports the cap or crown.

If the implants are supporting dentures, the clenching of the jaw can cause them to crack or break in half. The pressure from bruxism can also cause the artificial tooth covering the implant to chip, crack, or break.

Suffering from bruxism does not automatically rule you out as a candidate for a dental implant. Your implant dentist will have to assess the state of your jawbone to see if the pressure has caused any bone loss. He will also be able to determine the severity of the clenching.

The dentist might be able to create a custom night guard for you, depending on your particular situation. The night guard will help to correct your bite while you sleep, and will cushion your teeth and jaw from the pressure caused by bruxism. With correct use of a night guard, a patient who clenches his jaw may successfully undergo dental implant treatment.

To find out if you are a candidate for dental implants, contact the Coquitlam office of Dr. Bernard Jin at 604-229-2824 and schedule your consultation today.

Louis Armstrong once sang ‘Smile and the whole world smiles with you’, and never a truer word was spoken. Smiling is a great reliever of stress, and a hugely important factor in our attractiveness to others. It’s a proven fact that smiling not only makes us feel better about ourselves, but also those around us and keeping our smiles healthy is one reason why so many people are encouraged by dentists to make the effort to visit regularly.

But a healthy mouth is not just intrinsic to the way we look, it can also have a positive effect on our overall state of health. While keeping our teeth clean with regular brushing and flossing, and visits to a dentist helps to ensure our smiles remain bright and attractive, good oral hygiene reduces the risk of developing serious illness in other areas.

This is especially true of the heart; the most vital of organs can be badly affected by chronic gum disease, as plaque build-up – a major factor in gum disease – can stretch underneath gum tissue and allow bacteria to enter the blood stream where it binds with fat proteins. These proteins can build up, leading to clogged arteries which can obstruct the flow of blood around the body and could eventually trigger a heart attack or stroke.

Poor oral hygiene and health has been attributed to infections in other parts of the body too, and research into links between infection and oral health has revealed links between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis and also memory loss in later years.

Diabetics too can be affected by poor oral health, as the condition often leaves the sufferer with a less efficient auto-immune system, making them more susceptible to infection and so gum disease is often more prevalent in diabetes sufferers.

There are other areas where poor oral health can have an effect on a person’s overall health, including pregnancy so it is important that regular dentist visits are made to address any problems, and also maintaining a strict dental hygiene regime involving brushing with a good toothpaste, flossing regularly and rinsing with mouthwash. Dietary changes can also help effect good dental health.

With good oral health intrinsically linked to good physical health, it has never been more important to visit a dentist – not only to safeguard your smile, but also to safeguard your overall health. Contact our Denver dental team at 303-832-7789 to schedule your next visit.