Cosmetic Dentistry in Lemoore

Your smile forms a central part of your image, which affects your relationships, both socially and professionally. Unfortunately, any discoloration, decay, or damage to your teeth can detract from your look, give you an awkward smile, and make you self-conscious.

Today, there are numerous cosmetic dental procedures that you can use to improve your smile. Even a subtle change to your smile can make a huge difference in the way you look, the way you feel about yourself, and the way others perceive you.

Here are some of the most common teeth problems and likely solutions.

Stained or discolored teeth

There are many things that contribute to tooth discoloration, including age, food, medications, smoking, and other lifestyle factors. Your dentist may recommend in-office or at-home bleaching to whiten your teeth and brighten your smile.

In some cases, porcelain veneers, or ultra-thin shells of tooth-colored porcelain material, can be cemented to the front surface of your teeth in order to conceal or camouflage discolored and poorly shaped teeth.

Tooth decay

Decay occurs due to the buildup of plaque, causing it to eat away your tooth structure and create cavities. Depending on the extent of damage, your dentist will remove the infection, treat the site, and then fill the cavity to stop further deterioration. Common treatments include:

• Inlays and onlays - used to repair mild to moderate cases of tooth decay where there's insufficient tooth structure to support a dental filling
• Root canal therapy - used to repair severe cases of decay where the infection has reached the blood vessels inside the tooth

Chipped or fractured teeth

Teeth can break due to any kind of trauma in an accident, due to a sports injury, or even bad habits such as chewing ice or opening soda bottles with your teeth. Depending on the extent of damage, your dentist may recommend:

• Bonding - involves the application of tooth-colored plastic putty, known as composite resin, to the surface of broken or chipped teeth
• Dental Crowns - designed to completely cover a damaged tooth in order to prevent further deterioration and restore its normal shape, size, and appearance.

Crooked, overcrowded, or misaligned teeth

To straighten your teeth, your dentist may recommend enamel shaping - a procedure involving controlled enamel removal to shape the tooth. In severe cases, you may need to wear custom, clear braces or aligners for 9 to 18 months depending on the severity of the problem, age, and health of your gums, teeth, and supporting bone.

Missing teeth

There are several options for replacing missing teeth, including:

• Dental bridges - this option features an artificial tooth with crowns attached on either side that are bonded to the adjacent teeth on either side of a gap to anchor the tooth replacement.
• Dentures - these are removable dental appliances that feature a complete set of artificial teeth and plastic gum. They are inserted in the upper and/or lower jaw for patients who have no teeth, and are held in place by soft tissues and muscles in your mouth. For greater stability, the dentures can be secured to a few, strategically placed implants.

If you're self-conscious about your teeth, or want to improve your smile, please visit Downtown Dental Lemoore in Lemoore, 93245 to discuss your case. Call us today at 559-924-5353 to schedule your free consultation.