Regardless of how dedicated you are to the care of your teeth as time passes they can become stained, show small hairline cracks in the surface enamel and even get chopped. Before there was such a thing as cosmetic dentistry in Chicago there was very little that could be done about these imperfections; this is no longer the case. With the rapid advances in dentistry it is now possible for a cosmetic dentist to transform the appearance of a patient, giving them flawless teeth and a smile that most people dream of having.
The dentist is very well versed in the various cosmetic procedures which are available. With the dentist’s knowledge and your vision, the two of you can easily transform your smile.
Perhaps one of the most common cosmetic procedures is tooth whitening or bleaching. Many people are not aware of the structure of a tooth and they are of the opinion that stains must be on the tooth surface, this is not the case. The top surface of the tooth, the enamel, is actually transparent or if not, very translucent. The staining takes place in the next layer down, the dentin. The dentist will determine if your teeth are suitable for this procedure or not. Those patients who have crowns or white fillings are not good candidates as these materials will not be affected by the chemicals used. Patients who have not had these procedures are ideally suited for tooth whitening.
For those patients who cannot benefit from whitening, cosmetic dentistry in Chicago includes dental veneers that will give identical visual results. The veneer is a very thin shell made from porcelain or a composite material; the veneers are produced in a dental laboratory against a dental specification. The cosmetic dentist first grinds the surface of the teeth, taking no more material than will be replaced by the thickness of the veneer once they are fitted. Veneers have the added advantage that they hide any surface imperfections such as chips or cracks and they can also close abnormal spaces between teeth.
In the event the patient has one or more missing teeth they can be replaced with a tooth implant. This procedure can often taken six months or more to complete. This type of cosmetic dentistry in Chicago begins when the dentist implants a titanium “root” directly into the jaw bone. Once this artificial root has become one with the bone a crown is fitted. The result is a perfect replica of the missing tooth, one that is every bit as strong as the tooth it replaces and never has to be removed for any reason.
