Cosmetic Dentistry

Besides the strength, durability and stability benefits crowns offer, they can also be recommended for cosmetic reasons where teeth are discoloured, crooked or unsightly. Crowns can give people that beautiful smile they have always wanted.

Crowns can be made from a number of materials, including porcelain, porcelain on a metal backing and gold. Tooth coloured porcelain crowns are made to match the shade of your existing teeth and can be used to improve the look of discoloured teeth.

Porcelain veneers are thin, custom-made shells precisely crafted by one of our local dental laboratories and is bonded onto the front of a tooth. A small amount of tooth enamel is removed in order to achieve completely natural appearance once the veneer is placed. The veneers are checked for fit and comfort and any required adjustments are made before they veneers are permanently bonded. When bonded in place, your veneers will look like your natural surrounding teeth. Porcelain veneers are quite strong, durable and stain resistant, despite being thin.

Composite veneers are crafted using high quality resin materials that are coloured to match the shade of natural tooth colours. This type of dental veneer is usually used to fix small tooth imperfections such as small chips or cracks in the teeth. Composite veneers have the advantage and convenience of being completed in a single appointment. The composite resin materials are placed in layers and are sculpted to the perfect shape to blend harmoniously with your surrounding natural teeth before being set in place by a special blue light.

In a traditional bridge an artificial tooth, called a pontic, is attached to crowns placed on the adjacent teeth. These crowns are called abutments and are cemented onto the adjacent teeth to secure the bridge. A traditional bridge is a treatment option when the patient has natural teeth on both sides on the gap created by the missing tooth. A cantilever bridge can be an option when there are only natural teeth on one side of a missing tooth gap. Your dentist can discuss the different types of bridges and will determine which treatment option is right for you.

Where only one or more teeth are missing, the remaining teeth are used to support a partial denture. This can be a plastic partial denture which is removable and a little bulky. An alternative to this is a metal partial denture which is removable and less bulky.

A full denture is required where all of the teeth are missing or require removal. If all the teeth are already missing a new full denture can be made while still wearing the existing denture, meaning no time is spent without teeth.

Where a number of teeth are still present these can be left until the new denture is made and only removed when the new denture is inserted. This is called an immediate denture. This type of denture will need relining (refitting to the healed gum) after three months when healing is complete.

There are a number of benefits to getting your teeth straightened with braces. Firstly, it is easier to keep your teeth and gums clean when they are in a straight alignment. Poor positioning of teeth can mean they can trap food and therefore decay easier. You may also benefit from improved jaw relationships that protect your teeth from clenching or grinding, which we call parafunction. And of course you can get a beautiful smile that you can show off, knowing it is your own set of natural teeth!

If getting a better smile is something that you have thought about, it is well worth a consultation with a dentist to see what your options are. There are many solutions and there is sure to be one that suits your needs and lifestyle. At Jones Dental both Dr Sebastian Sekulic and Dr Edith Au offer orthodontic solutions, so why not speak to them about creating your perfect smile.