Thursday, May 28, 2015

Professional Teeth Whitening: Which Options are Best?

If you’ve been researching cosmetic dental treatments, it’s hard to avoid mention of teeth whitening. Teeth bleaching is popular because it can be effective at boosting your smile, but there is an overwhelming amount of brands, products, and whitening methods to choose from.

For best results, it’s always a good idea to visit a dental office for professional care where you’ll usually be presented with two options: in-office teeth whitening or take-home whitening kits. But which will give you the results you want?

When it comes to professional teeth whitening, the in-office and take-home treatments produce similar results.  It really comes down to how much time you have to devote to treatment and the reasons why you’re seeking treatment in the first place.

In-office whitening can typically be completed in one visit, with results being immediately visible. However, the cost for in-office bleaching is often higher. If you need your teeth whitened that same day for a special event, or if you’re in a hurry and can’t devote more than one appointment to treatment, in-office whitening is the best choice to make for the results you want. Same-day teeth bleaching is a great idea for important meetings or job interviews, reunions, professional photo-taking, or weddings.

Take-home whitening is completed over the course of several weeks. Your dentist will provide you with custom trays and a bleaching solution to whiten your smile at home. It’s important to note that professional home whitening kits often make a big difference by incorporating custom whitening trays, so the whitening gel stays exactly where it’s supposed to.  Drugstore whitening kits produce hit-and-miss results, as the treatment is not customized and the gel may not be in-place to do its best work. If you’re looking for a whiter smile as a part of your general dental goals, take-home whitening from a dentist produces beautiful results.

Visiting a cosmetic dentist for teeth whitening ensures you get the treatment you need to meet your treatment goals in the appropriate time. At Peninsula Dental-Facial Esthetics, we offer in-office teeth whitening with Opalesence Boost to give our patients brighter smiles. Contact our office today to learn more or to schedule your consultation.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Traditional Veneers vs. No-Prep Veneers

Dental veneers are one of the quickest and easiest ways to transform a less-than-perfect smile. In as little as two dental appointments – one for treatment planning and taking impressions, and a second appointment for application – you can have a smile that looks more balanced and is whiter and brighter.

As the popularity of veneers has risen among patients seeking cosmetic treatment, newer kinds of veneers have been made available, along with different methods for applying them. These changes have brought a debate to the forefront of cosmetic dentistry: which is better, traditional veneers or no-prep dental veneers? As with any dental treatment, the ultimate verdict boils down to patient preference, but many dentists agree on the advantages that one treatment offers over another.

The process for getting traditional veneers involves preparing patients’ teeth by buffing away a small amount of natural dental enamel, and then bonding the veneer in place. On the other hand, the no-prep variety (as you may have guessed) does not involve buffing away dental enamel.

This preparation process has an effect on the final outcome. While some patients are intimidated by the idea of preparing teeth to accept a veneer, doing so allows the veneer (a thin sheet of porcelain) to rest perfectly on dental enamel. In this way, teeth do not look bulky or fake. Because no-prep veneers are simply bonded to teeth as-is, there is some risk of getting an unnatural result, where teeth look obviously treated or unnatural.

The ability to control the color of treated teeth is also affected by which treatment method you choose.  Traditional veneers tend to be slightly thicker than the no-prep variety. For patients with severely stained teeth that cannot be treated with whitening methods, this means that the standard veneer does a better job of covering and improving their natural tooth color. Thinner veneers may not mask stained teeth as efficiently; traditional veneers give cosmetic dentists better control over boosting the whiteness of a patient’s smile.

In the end, many patients and dentists find that regular dental veneers do a better job of concealing flaws and providing for a natural-looking restoration.  We custom-make traditional veneers right in our Foster City cosmetic dental office. Our on-site master ceramist helps to ensure that our patients’ smiles look beautiful and naturally improved. If you have any questions about veneers treatment, please feel free to contact our office.