Cosmetic Dentistry

Teeth whitening, teeth bleaching

Do you need to brighten teeth that are stained or discolored? Talk to the staff at Dr. Deck’s office. We’ll recommend the best way to whiten your teeth or bleach your teeth based on your unique dental situation and budget. One option is at-home bleaching that uses plastic whitening trays made from models of your teeth plus a bleaching gel.

Cosmetic bonding

It’s called cosmetic bonding because a composite resin is shaded to match your teeth, then bonded to your teeth, then carefully sculpted to fix a problem such as rough or jagged tooth edges, slightly chipped teeth, unattractive gaps between front teeth, even mis-colored or stained teeth. The composite resin is made from fine glass particles suspended in a plastic resin. Cosmetic bonding is a less-expensive alternative to porcelain or ceramic veneers, but will dramatically improve any smile.

Dental crowns, dental bridges

A crown can make a damaged tooth stronger, improve a tooth’s appearance, top off an implant, even attach a bridge. The crown, sometimes called a cap, covers a badly decayed or fractured tooth restoring the tooth to its original size and shape. Dental crowns are made from a variety of materials, including gold, metal alloys, porcelain fused to metal, ceramic, and composite resin.

A bridge is a single dental appliance that replaces a missing tooth by attaching to the teeth on either side of the gap where the missing tooth once was. An artificial tooth in the center of the bridge fills the gap. It’s an ideal way to replace one or more missing teeth, prevent bite and jaw joint problems, improve chewing performance, and eliminate that “sunken face” look noticeable when teeth are missing. Think of a bridge as a more-permanent solution than dentures or a partial denture. Let us help you choose the best method.

Tooth veneers, porcelain veneers

Tooth veneers, also called porcelain veneers, are thin, custom shells made from either dental porcelain or dental composites. Both come in a wide variety of life-like tooth colors and are excellent for covering permanently stained teeth, hiding tooth gaps, and correcting chipped or broken teeth. They are bonded directly to the front of the teeth, much like artificial fingernails are attached. Porcelain veneers look incredibly natural, and can do wonders for any smile. Veneers made from dental composites are also beautiful, but at less cost. Both can be expertly matched to your tooth color.

About tooth-colored materials

To look its best, a smile sometimes needs a dental material that looks just like…well, real teeth. There are several tooth-colored materials available today that can mimic the color and depth of original tooth enamel. One is the glass-like dental porcelain, also known as dental ceramics. The other would be dental composites made by combining a strong resin filler with finely ground glass particles. Both have many uses in cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry.