Your smile contributes to your happiness, health, and self-esteem. Unfortunately, tooth decay, tooth loss, and discoloring cause some to feel self-conscious and hesitant about smiling. But dental issues do not need to keep your beautiful smile hidden from the world! There are many cosmetic dentistry treatment options to restore your teeth and your confidence. In fact, many of these treatments improve both the look of your teeth and your overall dental health and smile.
Located in Colorado Springs, Briargate Dental Center offer a wide range of cosmetic dental treatments to restore our patients’ dental smiles. Here are some of the treatments available to meet the needs of you and your family.
Cosmetic Dentistry Treatment Options for Missing Teeth
A missing tooth can cause embarrassment, discomfort, and potentially more serious dental issues. There are several effective treatments, however, that can restore your smile.
DENTAL BRIDGES
If a tooth is lost through any means such as a root canal or other circumstance, there are several restorative options. Bridges involve replacing the missing tooth and the two adjacent teeth with three connected porcelain teeth and a metal substructure. The bridge stabilizes the replacement tooth and appears as three normal teeth. Bridges take two or three visits to prepare and place.
IMPLANTS
If there is sufficient bone left under a missing tooth, an implant could be a good cosmetic dentistry option. An implant is an artificial tooth root that is attached to the bone and then covered with a porcelain tooth, bridge, or partial dentures. Implants are a permanent treatment and can only be removed by a dental professional. As with any medical procedure, there are complications that can arise (the implant could be rejected by the mouth, smoking could cause failure, e.g.), but, for many patients, implants are a good option and cause little to no discomfort after healing.
DENTURES
There are two types of removable dentures: immediate and conventional. Immediate dentures are used after a patient’s natural teeth are completely removed and replaced with a full set of artificial teeth-whitened dentures the same day. Conventional dentures are either complete or partial artificial teeth that are generally used to replace immediate dentures once the tissue has healed. Partial dentures replace a section of missing teeth. Both partial and conventional dentures can also be permanently implanted in some cases.
Tooth Restoration Treatments
There are a number of treatments for teeth that are damaged but not yet lost.
CROWNS
A crown is used when the entire structure of a tooth has been compromised. An outer shell, or crown, is placed over the existing tooth once its size has been reduced. The crown is cemented to the remaining tooth and fits right in with the natural characteristics of the other teeth. We can usually achieve outstanding results with crowns. Same day crowns are a perfect option for those wanting fast results. Same day crowns are fast, strong and can make a smile look great.
FILLINGS
When a tooth is beginning to deteriorate but retains its overall integrity, a filling can be used to prevent further decay. Failing to treat a cavity early can lead to more serious tooth deterioration or even the loss of the tooth altogether. There are four types of fillings: amalgam, composite, gold, and porcelain. Which filling is appropriate depends on the location, function, and cost. Fillings have been a common treatment around the world for decades because of their reliability and cost-effectiveness.
ONLAYS AND INLAYS
Onlays and inlays are treatments for damaged molars. When back teeth lose one or more of their cusps (the four points on the top of a molar), onlays can be used to restore the missing cusp(s). If the cusps are sound but the inner tooth is decaying, inlays can be used to restore the integrity of the tooth.
BONDING
Small chips or other minor dental defects can often be treated with bonding. Bonding allows a dentist to smooth out, recolor, and reshape a damaged tooth to restore its appearance.
Smile Restoration Treatments
There are many options for improving the appearance of otherwise healthy teeth.
PROFESSIONAL TEETH WHITENING IN COLORADO SPRINGS
Discoloring can result from many things: diet, smoking, age, trauma, or medications. Some of the best ways of keeping your teeth white are brushing regularly, having routine cleanings performed by your Colorado Springs dentist, and altering diet. If you are still dissatisfied with the appearance of your teeth, your dentist can whiten them from the inside (if you’ve had a root canal) or the outside. The most common method involves a 30-60 minute treatment of whitening gel. Teeth whitening is not for everyone, though, so ask Dr. Baumgardner, Dr. Henegar or our staff about your teeth whitening options.
A first impression can mean everything. If you have discolored, yellowing teeth, self-confidence can be inhibited. Over long periods of time your teeth will naturally lose their shine, but with many different teeth whitening options from Briargate Dental Center in Colorado Springs, we can help restore your original tooth coloration. We offer many types of professional in house options that might be right for you.
VENEERS
Veneers are thin porcelain overlays that can be used to adjust the color, shape, length, and spacing of teeth. Veneers are generally unnoticeable and restore teeth to their natural pearly white. Veneers are placed against the front of your teeth to hide any visible deformities that are common on the tooth itself. Our dental team in Colorado Springs will prep each tooth that presents flaws before the veneer is placed.
Because of the custom nature of veneers, our team will discuss the results you are seeking and how the veneers will enhance your smile. Veneers are made from top-quality porcelain that reflect light and color in a similar way natural enamel does. The strength and natural color make this a viable option for improving your smile and ultimately your self-esteem. This procedure requires minimal dentist visits and is a great option for an improved look and mouthfeel.
Find out if veneers are right for you. Call our dentist office today for a consultation.
Restoring Smiles Across Colorado
As you can see, Briargate Dental Center is committed to offering many cosmetic dentistry procedures that can be a great fit for improving your smile. Our team works hard with our patients to create a cosmetic dental experience that is right for you. Every mouth, tooth, and smile is different so each patients’ procedure will be unique. By discussing options and detailing the procedures, unique to each patient our professional dentists are what sets us apart as one of the top dentists in the Colorado Springs, CO area.
If you have concerns about your smile, fear of smiling because of the way your teeth look or are extremely self-conscious about opening your mouth we would love to hear from you. We take great pride in our expertise and love helping people improve their self-confidence with a perfect smile.
Serving the surrounding Colorado Springs communities, Briargate Dental Center provide numerous teeth whitening solutions and other dental needs to augment your daily smile. Please explore our site to learn more about dental health! For a more broad explanation of cosmetic dental treatments.
To find out more about our cosmetic dental services or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Baumgardner please call us at (719) 598-1293.