Dental Laminates Can Improve Your Smile

If you are looking for a solution that will improve your appearance – try dental laminates.  In our dentist office, we treat patients throughout New York that are looking to change how they look - namely their smile.  This is understandable considering that both men and women state that an attractive smile is the best quality that someone can have, and people with a beautiful smile are even more likely to be hired for a new job or to get a raise.  In a highly competitive world – your smile matters.  But what if your teeth are yellow, stained, damaged, or a funny shape? In this case, you can visit our cosmetic dentist office for treatment.

Technology has continued to improve to the point where there are few if any, aesthetic issues with your teeth that we cannot correct.  Whether you have gaps in between your two front teeth, they are crooked or are dull in appearance – we can help.  Even if your teeth are too small for your appearance, we can correct that too.  For this reason, we recommend that you schedule a consultation so that we can examine your teeth and gums, take x-rays and create a treatment plan that will address all of your needs.

Very often, we recommend dental laminates.  This is a diverse solution that works well to restore damaged teeth or to correct aesthetic challenges.  Laminates are bonded to the surface of your natural teeth, so you do not need oral surgery to take advantage of this option.  This means that your recovery time would be far less than if you were to use dental implants to replace your current teeth.  In most cases, this is unnecessary because we can keep your current teeth in place and simply change their appearance.  By leaving them, your roots and tooth structure remain intact, giving your jawbone the stimulation it needs to avoid resorption.  However, if you do need to have a tooth replaced, we can provide you with implants along with your dental laminates.

To create laminates in the perfect size, shape, and shade, we will being by making an impression of your teeth, taking measurements and reviewing a shade card with you.  That way you can select a shade of white that you are comfortable with.  Everyone has their ideal shade of white, so we want to make sure that your laminates fit within your expectations.  While they are being created in the dental lab, we will go to work preparing your teeth.  Since they are bonded to the surface of your teeth, we will remove a portion of the enamel before doing so.  This will ensure that they lay flat and that your teeth do not look overly large.  Since this is often done before your dental laminates are ready, we will secure a temporary set to your teeth to protect them while you wait for the final version to be finished.  Once done, we will remove your temporaries and permanently bond your laminates in place. This will give you a beautiful and natural-looking new smile.

In our office, we provide dental laminates for those that are looking to improve the appearance of their smile.  Laminates, also known as veneers, are an excellent way to create a uniform smile – one without stains, chips, cracks, etc.  They can even close gaps in between teeth and change their overall shape and size, making them incredibly versatile.  Since they are created to match the shade of your other teeth, you can use a laminate over one or all of your teeth in order to create a perfect smile.
If you are considering transforming the appearance of your smile, we invite you to call and schedule a consultation so that we can discuss the goals that you have and the best way to achieve them.  We will start the process by completing a thorough examination and taking x-rays.  This will provide us with information we need to make a recommendation regarding how to proceed.  Simultaneously, we will look for any signs of infection or cavities because health issues need to be corrected before starting any cosmetic work.  If your teeth and gums look healthy, we will make an impression of your teeth so that we can send the dental lab the information they need to create the laminates.
It can take the lab one to two weeks to prepare your dental laminate, during which time your teeth will need to be prepared.  In order to do so, we will need to remove a portion of the enamel from the surface of your teeth.  The laminate serves to replace that enamel and this process ensures that it lays flat instead of protruding out from the other teeth.  Since the enamel serves to protect your teeth, once it has been removed, a temporary will need to be worn until your permanent laminate is ready.  This is typically secured with a water-based removable glue that can easily come off when it is time to make the switch.  Given that it is designed to be removable it is important to practice caution while eating to ensure that it doesn't accidentally become dislodged.  Fortunately, it is only worn for a short time before you come back in.
Once the lab is finished completing your dental laminates, you will come back in for the bonding procedure.  In this appointment, we will check to make sure that the laminates have been created to our exact specifications and after removing your temporaries, will place them onto your teeth to double check how they look. If any small adjustments are necessary, now is the time to make them.  Next, we will place dental cement onto your tooth and secure the laminates in place, bonding them with a special dental light for strength and durability.  Once hardened, your teeth will look amazing and you can go about life eating your favorite foods and enjoying your new smile.  There are no restrictions on what you can do so long as you treat your dental laminates as though they were a natural tooth.  For example, you can't eat ice or chew a pencil now, nor should you in the future.

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