An unattractive or discolored smile can have a negative effect on your self-confidence. If you have chipped teeth, asymmetrical teeth, staining, cracks, pitting, or other relatively minor problems, a cosmetic dentist can restore your smile to its natural brilliance with teeth whitening, bonding, or veneers.
Teeth Whitening and Veneers
For stains or discoloration, teeth whitening can be the simplest way to restore your smile. Our cosmetic dentist can perform this procedure in the office, or can provide a take-home kit. The latter is more commonly used for staining that doesn’t respond to in-office whitening.
For severe staining, particularly staining that affects the deepest layers of the teeth, veneers are a good option. Veneers are made of thin porcelain that is bonded to the surface of the teeth. This natural-looking option is also good to treat:
• Pits and staining
• Cracked teeth
• Slight misalignment
• Small gaps
In many cases, veneers can be used to correct problems that otherwise might have acquired orthodontic treatment or more invasive treatments like crowns, which require significant reshaping of the tooth.
Dental Bonding
Another option our cosmetic dentist can supply is dental bonding. Bonding reshapes asymmetrical, misshapen or too-small teeth using a special resin that matches the color of your enamel. The dentist applies the resin to the teeth, hardens it with a special light, and sculpts it to the correct shape. Like veneers, using dental bonding is a less invasive alternative to full crowns.
These cosmetic dentistry alternatives can give you a perfect smile, matched exactly to your natural teeth in both color and shape. Veneers and bonding are both durable and fairly easy to care for. After treatment, you will have to be careful not to expose your veneers to staining agents as, unlike natural teeth, porcelain veneers do not respond to teeth whitening.
For more information about how veneers, teeth whitening and dental bonding can restore your smile, please contact the Toronto office of Dr. Nicholas Kemp to schedule a consultation.