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Teeth Whitening or Bleaching
Whitening your teeth is easier and safer than ever before.
It can be done at our office or at your home. In-office
whitening is done in one visit to Calhoun Dental. Home
whitening involves more time and commitment from the patient
but is less expensive.
There
are a few considerations with both processes. Fillings,
caps, crowns, veneers and bonding will not be affected. In
these instances, old visible dental work would need to be
replaced to match the shade of the newly whitened teeth.
Tetracycline stained teeth or deep tooth structure
discoloration generally will not whiten to satisfactory
results. The whitening effect holds up for years and can be
"touched up" on a need-be basis. Whitening is not designed
to be used continually.
To find
out more about our whitening
options
call us
for a free
consultation.
In-Office One Hour Whitening
Now a
whiter, brighter smile can be obtained faster and easier
than ever! At Calhoun Dental we utilize the Zoom2 (link to
Discus Dental Zoom website) system. This technique is
cutting edge in the industry. A clear gel is placed on
isolated teeth and is activated by a high-intensity light
system. The gel system is a special formulation of
peroxides, which has been researched and proven to be safe
and effective. It will not damage your teeth and no tooth
structure is ever removed. During the process you can relax
with a soothing warmed lavender-infused aromatherapy
neck-wrap. You can watch television or listen to headphones
with your favorite CD. In about an hour, you leave with a
whiter smile!
Call today to schedule your appointment.
Home Whitening
The first step in home whitening or bleaching is the
fabrication of the custom fit trays. To do this, upper and
lower jaw impressions or molds are taken. The trays are
specially fabricated to hold the whitening gel against the
teeth. They are made of a clear, thin, soft plastic that is
easily and comfortably worn everyday for about 2 weeks. The
trays are worn with gel for 4- 6 hours at a time. The gel is
similar in composition to the in-office system only it is
not light catalyzed. Many patients go to bed with the trays
in place. The more you wear the trays … the quicker the
whitening effect.
Porcelain Veneers
A
Porcelain Veneer is a thin, fingernail thickness shield of
porcelain that resurfaces the front visible surface of a
tooth and is wrapped around the backside of the tooth to
include the edge of the tooth. The number of veneers placed
varies from each patient's needs and desires but generally
the front eight teeth are done on the upper and the lower
teeth to give a uniform and picture perfect look.
Veneers
are permanently bonded to the teeth, will not stain and are
resistant to fracture. They can be used to whiten a smile
where other methods proved unsuccessful. They can be placed
to fill unwanted gaps, restore uneven edges and fractures,
or correct rotated, short and crooked teeth. Many times
little or no preparation on the existing teeth is necessary.
This procedure requires two visits.
During
the first visit we take an impression the teeth to be
veneered and prepare them. The impression is sent to a lab
where the veneers are custom made to fit each tooth in the
desired shade and contour. Temporary veneers are then
placed.
The
second visit is about 10 days later. It is then the
permanent veneers are tried on for fit and if they look
awesome, they are bonded into place. Nothing but nature and
genetics at their best can create a smile that compares with
the natural look made possible by porcelain veneers.
To
determine if Porcelain Veneers are for
you call to schedule
a free consultation.
 
Past
Crowns and Caps
New All-Porcelain Crowns
All-Porcelain Caps, Crowns and
Bridges
The caps or crowns of dentistry in the past were either gold
or porcelain coated over metal. The metal would typically
show through along the gum line showing a dark almost black
area at the gum, which is not very attractive or natural.
Now with
a similar technique as porcelain veneers, caps or crowns are
made with no metal and are completely made of a very strong
porcelain material. Porcelain technology has advanced
dramatically the last few years allowing maximum strength
and beautiful aesthetics.
A
porcelain cap or crown is used where more of a tooth is
compromised from decay or fracture to restore it to normal
function and desirable contour and shade. Years ago when a
person lost a tooth or several teeth unattractive dentures
or metallic based bridges were the only options. Now lost
teeth can be replaced with natural looking, all-porcelain
bridges which are bonded to the adjacent teeth with no metal
showing whatsoever.
All-porcelain caps, crowns and bridges can be used in
conjunction with veneers depending on the restorative and
cosmetic needs of the patient.
Implants
Dental implants are another way to replace missing teeth.
This is another innovation that is fairly new to dentistry.
A dental implant essentially is a titanium root that is
surgically placed into the bone and left to integrate with
the patients own bone tissues. After a period of several
months, a porcelain tooth is fitted and attached to the
implant. The final result is a permanent tooth replacement
without touching any of the adjacent teeth.
To find out if
you are a candidate for dental implants,
call for
a free
consultation.
White Fillings
At Calhoun Dental, we do not use silver amalgam metal
filling material. When a tooth needs a filling to restore a
cavity or small fracture, white filling material called
composite is used. In some cases, porcelain inlays or onlays
may be the solution. With either technique, the shade of
your tooth is matched to obtain a natural look, even in
molars.
 
With the
advent of modern light -cured polymers and dental adhesives,
fillings are now sealed and retained by a physical
interlocking to the microscopic pores of the tooth
structure. This means that only the decayed part of the
tooth is removed and replaced, allowing for a smaller,
stronger more conservative filling that is better for your
tooth.
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