Your smile is important. As dentists, we witness the changes a renewed smile brings people everyday. Our patients give heartfelt testament of how improving their smile affects their lives in big and small ways. From feeling proud to smile, to lifted spirits to a rejuvenated self-confidence, our smiles are important not only to our health but also to our self-esteem, attractiveness to others, and may influence our lives and careers in many ways.

If you could, would you like to improve your smile? Have your teeth turned a little yellow? Do you have discolored fillings, chipped teeth, or tooth gaps that you're self-conscious of? If you do, let Dr. Keith and Dr. Chao brighten your smile using one of our many cosmetic techniques:

Composite resin is a tooth-colored material that is bonded directly to teeth to correct a variety of problems. In the esthetic zone, your front teeth, composite bonding can be used to correct chipped, stained or worn teeth or by closing spaces between teeth. In your back teeth, composites can replace mercury (amalgam) fillings or fill small cavities. This versatile material allows your smile to be restored and enhanced in a single visit!

BEFORE	AFTER
PROBLEM: Old restorative alloys are discolored and have recurrent decay.	SOLUTION: New composite restorations are placed making it hard to distinguish what is filling and what is your tooth! Composite is a natural appearing, mercury-free, alternative to Amalgam.

Tooth whitening or bleaching is a very conservative and effective way to lighten and brighten stained or discolored teeth. The color of our teeth may naturally darken with aging or by absorbing stains from the foods and beverages we consume. Worn teeth and leaky fillings also allow the teeth to darken faster. Proper evaluation of tooth discoloration is important to optimize whitening results and to avoid missing disease.

Tooth whitening utilizes a carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide gel to oxidize the contaminants in the teeth. A whitening treatment cannot change the color of caps, veneers or bonding. These professionally supervised treatments may be completed in the office or at home. At-home bleaching trays allow you to control the amount of brightness you desire.

Minor chips and uneven, worn edges of teeth may benefit from enamel recontouring. By simply reshaping the edges of teeth, your smile may be refreshed with relative ease.

 

To dramatically improve the position, size, color and shape of your teeth in a natural and easy way, veneers can be created for you in just two appointments. Veneers are fingernail thin porcelain laminates that are applied to the front side of the teeth. Metal-free, porcelain laminates maintain the natural translucency and vitality of your teeth. Unlike crowns, veneers don't require the removal of much tooth structure. These beautiful restorations are fabricated in a dental laboratory and will give you a fresh new look.

BEFORE
		PROBLEM: Peg-shaped laterals have a rounded incisal edge that may be improved using porcelain veneers. Also, the patient was missing a canine.
AFTER
		SOLUTION: Two porcelain veneers are fabricated in the laboratory to improve the shape of the lateral incisors. A single implant replaced the missing canine and an all-ceramic crown was made to match the veneers.

 

---

 

 

A beautiful smile is a work of art where the teeth make up the painting and the gums form its frame. An uneven gum line can prevent a smile from appearing its best by making the teeth appear asymmetrical. Periodontal plastic surgery can improve the height and shape of the gums around multiple teeth or in isolated areas. If a person has a gummy smile or short teeth, a Periodontist may perform a gum lift to safely remove unwanted tissue and create the frame for a beautiful smile.

BEFORE
	(Black lines mark gingival height) PROBLEM: Recession around old restorations make teeth appear different lengths which is esthetically unpleasing.
AFTER
	SOLUTION: A gum lift was performed to even the gum line, which now allows us to create pleasing, symmetrical restorations. To note, one of the four front teeth is missing, can you tell which one?

Have your teeth shifted or does your bite not fit quite right? Many adults are choosing to have their teeth straightened out either to improve their smile or to correct their bite. There are many esthetic alternatives to the "brace face" look reminiscent of teenagers such as ceramic brackets or even bracketless orthodontics. One common usage of orthodontics in adults is in preparation for bridge or implant work. Molars surrounding missing teeth may have tipped into the gap and need to be uprighted to create adequate space for the tooth replacement.