Smile Makeovers, Crowns, Veneers, Teeth Whitening
Smile Makeovers, Crowns, Veneers, and Teeth Whitening
Veneers are usually porcelain shells that are bonded to front surface of teeth. They can change a tooth’s color, shape, size, or length. Even though veneers provide an improved appearance for many people, one downside is that they may de-bund or pop out due to insufficient surface area needed for bonding.
On the contrary, a crown functions like a veneer, but it covers all tooth surfaces, and de-bonding happens less compared to veneers. Besides cosmetic reasons, crowns are also used to treat teeth that have extensive damage from caries or for teeth that have undergone root canal treatment. In those cases, crowns reinforce the teeth from breakage.
Different materials are used to fabricate crowns, such as composites, metals, porcelain, zirconia, lithium disilicate, or a combination of these materials. Unfortunately, dentists have yet to determine which type of dental crown is the best. Dr. Minasyan considers porcelain fused to yellow gold to be the best in most cases in terms of fit, esthetics, conservative reduction of tooth structure, and ease of adjustability, especially in multiple unit cases in a cosmetic smile, Hollywood Smile makeover.
Cosmetic smile makeover, partial or full mouth rehabilitation, is a treatment option whereby patients desire a more pleasing and esthetical-looking smile by changing the shape and color of the teeth.
Teeth whitening is a bleaching process that uses a peroxide-containing solution to remove stains and lighten teeth color and discoloration. You can do it at home with over-the-counter gels, strips, mouthwashes, or professional-grade gels. Alternatively, you could also visit your dentist’s office for the procedure.
When peroxide degrades, it forms scavenging particles (free radicals) which attack the stains on the enamel surface (outermost layer of a tooth) or inside the enamel microtubules. The layer right under the enamel is called dentin. However, due to genetics, some individuals have darker dentin color, and in those cases, teeth, the whitening effect might not be dramatic.
Peroxide cannot penetrate deep down into dentin microtubules. Even if it somehow does, it cannot change the color of crystals that make up dentin.
Over-the-counter 3% “brown bottle” peroxide solutions used for treating wounds are ineffective in whitening teeth. The peroxide strength dramatically reduces every time the bottle is opened, introducing new reactive elements from fresh air.
On the contrary, teeth whitening formulations are usually formulated at an acidic pH of around 4.5, stabilizing the peroxide and increasing its shelf-life. When the whitening formulation is introduced to teeth, the pH increases, whereby peroxide becomes highly reactive and effective.
Not only does MK Dental Offices offer treatments to help you love your smile again, but Dr. Minasyan loves educating his patients so they can easily understand their dental health.