Cosmetic Dentistry
Instant Braces, Los Angeles
John wanted to improve the look of his teeth and smile so he began to interview dentists
Cosmetic Dentistry - Various Options to Straight Teeth
John has yellow, spaced-out teeth that look too small for the size of his face and overall body size. His cosmetic dentist in Santa Barbara wanted to crown his front four teeth to make them look straight and fill in the gaps. Another cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles wanted to place Invisiline ® to close the spaces by moving the teeth closer together. Yet, another cosmetic dentist in Orange County wanted to place composite veneer dental bonding between his teeth to make them look bigger. The fourth cosmetic dentist wanted to place porcelain veneers but would have to do considerable grinding on his natural teeth to make them look natural. What should John do?
Porcelain Crowns
The Porcelain Crowns suggested by the Santa Barbara cosmetic dentist are a bad choice because his natural teeth would have to be ground down completely to place the crowns over the top of his ground down teeth. John's natural teeth do not have a single cavity or filling, therefore to grind down his teeth for cosmetic dentistry would be bad for his dental health.
Invisalign ®
The Invisiline ® suggested by the Los Angeles cosmetic dentist is another bad idea because if his teeth were pushed together with braces, orthodontics or with Invisiline® his upper arch would be too small. The gaps or spaces between his teeth would be gone but the size of his teeth would still be very small. The size of his upper arch would be small and way out of proportion to his face. Additionally, after braces, orthodontics or Invisiline® the patient has to wear retainers for the rest of their lives. The retainers would hold the teeth together, otherwise, his teeth would begin to separate again and his gaps or spaces between his teeth would return. Relapse of teeth after braces, orthodontics or Invisiline® occurs quickly without the patient wearing retainers. Also view the case study of Andrew and see how Dr. Muslin achieved another perfect instant braces outcome.
Cosmetic Dental Bonding
Cosmetic Dental Bonding is another bad idea because the bonding stains and discolors after just a few years. Cosmetic bonding of composite resin can break at the most inopportune times. Composite resin dental bonding is weaker than porcelain and can be unreliable with spaces between the teeth as large as John's.
Porcelain Veneers
There are two types of porcelain veneer techniques that are utilized for cosmetic dentistry. The type that requires the patient's teeth to be ground down and the type that requires no or very little grinding of the natural teeth also referred as non-invasive porcelain veneers.
Both types of porcelain veneers work very well and there are advantages and disadvantages to both types of porcelain veneers depending on the individual characteristics of the patient's teeth. The latest trend is the non-invasive or no grinding type of porcelain veneer however, Dr. Sam Muslin has been using both porcelain veneer techniques for nearly 25 years and has the advantage of knowing which technique to use and which type will last the longest and look the best for each patient.
In some instances he has used both techniques on the same patient in order to get the best results possible and yet practice the highest level of non-invasive porcelain veneer dentistry simultaneously.
The cosmetic dentist that recommended John have his natural teeth ground down was not going to provide the best care possible for the patient. That cosmetic dentist was just recommending the only level of care that he or she has the knowledge to deliver.
Non-Invasive Porcelain Veneers
What should John do? John has his top ten teeth treated instead of only the top four teeth. By treating the top 10 teeth John can have a beautiful white shade to his teeth and have a wider or fuller smile and a better balance to the sizes of his teeth. Additional the best porcelain veneer technique for John was the non-invasive porcelain veneer technique on all 10 teeth. His teeth are now the right sizes, the best color and balanced to harmonize with his entire face and physical size. The improvement to his entire appearance has stepped up the level of professionalism to John's image.