COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Your smile is the first facial feature most people will notice when they meet you. The goal of cosmetic dentistry is to transform an average smile into a terrific smile! To accomplish this goal, we analyze every aspect of a smile and then correct the problems.

All of these problems can be solved with cosmetic dentistry procedures, so even if you weren't born with a beautiful smile, you can still have one.

Teeth Whitening
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain Crowns
Tooth-Colored Fillings
Cosmetic Dentures

Teeth Whitening
Over time, your teeth darken as minerals penetrate the outer enamel layer. This darkening can be caused by foods and beverages that stain, such as coffee, colas, tea, red wine or berries. Tobacco products, like cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco, can cause teeth to take on a yellowish brown hue. And the natural aging process can also cause your teeth to darken.

We can prescribe a home teeth whitening system that will safely lighten these stains, giving you a whiter, brighter smile! A specially formulated tooth whitening gel, designed to be highly effective, yet safe, gently forces oxygen through the enamel of your teeth. The whitening process virtually erases stains and brightens your teeth, without damaging your tooth enamel or your gums.
For those who desire a faster result we can apply the Zoom teeth whitening gel which will whiten your teeth 6-8 shades in about 60-90 minutes.

First, we thoroughly examine your teeth and your mouth to make sure at-home teeth whitening is an appropriate option for you. We then take impressions of your teeth to create models of them. Using these models, we make a personalized tooth whitening tray that fits tightly over your teeth, allowing us to achieve optimum results.

At home, you'll fill the tray with the whitening gel and place the tray over your teeth, keeping it in place for several hours each day. You can wear the tooth whitening trays while you sleep, or if you prefer, you can wear them as you go about your day. Typically, you'll begin to see results in two to three weeks.

We'll monitor your progress on a regular basis, ensuring that your gums aren't becoming irritated and your teeth are whitening as desired. When the process is complete, your smile will be noticeably whiter and brighter!

Porcelain Veneers
A dental veneer is a thin shell of porcelain or plastic that is bonded to a tooth to improve its color and shape. A dental veneer generally covers only the front and top of a tooth. Porcelain veneers can be used to close spaces between teeth, lengthen small or misshapen teeth, or whiten stained or dark teeth. When teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, porcelain veneers can protect them from damage and restore their original appearance. For those who want longer teeth Lumineers can be placed for that beautiful smile.

It takes two or more appointments to restore teeth with dental veneers. During the first appointment, we shape and roughen the teeth. We then take impressions of your teeth, which we use to make precise working models of your mouth. It's on these models that we artistically craft porcelain veneers to fit the prepared teeth.

During the second appointment we clean and polish the prepared teeth. Then we use an adhesive to bond the veneers to the teeth. A harmless, high-intensity light hardens the adhesive. Once in place, a porcelain veneer virtually becomes part of the tooth. You can use teeth with dental veneers like you would your own teeth, because the bond is extremely strong. The final result is beautiful and natural looking teeth.

Porcelain Crowns
A tooth-colored dental crown may be made of both porcelain and metal, or, thanks to newly available technology, it may be made entirely of porcelain.

Recent breakthroughs in adhesives, combined with the development of stronger porcelain materials, allow us to make dental crowns entirely out of porcelain. In the past, porcelain crowns were always built upon a metal core. That was the only way they could have enough strength to withstand the tremendous biting forces that are exerted on all of your teeth. That metal core is what creates the dark blue line at the edge of many crowns.

All-porcelain crowns maintain a translucency that makes them hard to differentiate from natural teeth. Without metal, the problem of a dark line at the edge of the gums is eliminated. This allows us to place the edge of the porcelain crown above the gumline, and that's healthier for your tooth and gums.

When you want to improve your smile, porcelain crowns are a beautiful and natural looking choice.

Tooth-Colored Fillings
Until recently, silver amalgam was the material most often used to restore decayed portions of your teeth, especially back teeth. Unfortunately, silver fillings can really darken a smile, and amalgam, by its very nature, can cause damage to your tooth in the long run.

Amalgam fillings absorb moisture and expand and contract with heat and cold. So, as the filling ages, it can fracture your tooth; we'll then need to place a porcelain crown on your tooth to save it. Also, silver fillings often undergo metal fatigue, corroding and leaking over time. This destroys the protective seal of the filling and allows new decay to develop underneath it. This leakage can give a gray appearance to the entire tooth.

Dental research has resulted in the development of new tooth-colored materials that are not only durable and long lasting, but attractive as well. These materials, porcelain and composite resin, provide an attractive, natural look while at the same time restoring strength and durability to your tooth.

Both porcelain and composite resin are bonded directly to the tooth, restoring it to near its original strength and function. Both can be custom-colored to precisely match your teeth, so when porcelain or resin fillings are placed, they're extremely natural looking. This can really make a difference in your appearance, especially if the restoration is visible when you smile.

When we place an amalgam filling, we have to remove extra healthy tooth structure, just so the filling will stay in place. When we restore your tooth with composite resin, we only need to remove the decayed portion, because the bond anchors the material tightly in place. This means you retain more healthy tooth structure. Also, because white fillings are bonded to your tooth, they add strength to the tooth.

So if you're looking for an attractive and effective option for restoring one or more decayed teeth, be sure to ask us about the latest choices in white restorative materials.

Cosmetic Dentures
If you have lost your teeth and are noticing that your dentures are loose, dingy yellow, or don’t support your face, then you may be a candidate for a cosmetic denture. Our dentures are fabricated with high quality porcelain teeth for the most aesthetically pleasing result possible. Dentures should be examined every year for fit and chewing efficiency.

What makes these dentures different you may ask? Because Dr. Dunkel has fit numerous dentures and also taken advanced courses to refine his technique, you will be impressed with how they look and how comfortably they fit.