Colonial Dental Group Cosmetic Dentistry Blog - Dooley, Lewis, and Quezada
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Porcelain Veneers
In mid-century Hollywood, many movie stars elected to improve their smiles by having all their teeth pulled and replaced with nice, shiny, pearly-white dentures. After years of heavy smoking and inadequate brushing, the most attractive features of their youth dimmed and dulled, putting their careers in jeopardy.
Fortunately, we now have some alternatives to this type of drastic makeover, and one of them is porcelain veneers. People from all walks of life are having their teeth resurfaced with these thin porcelain covers. It is a quick way to deal with many minor tooth defects, such as:
Porcelain is semi-translucent, allowing the veneer to mimic closely the attributes of tooth enamel. Your dentist will choose a shade to match your natural shade of white.
Only one visit
Because we have the CEREC system for milling porcelain, we can make your veneers and bond them permanently to your teeth in just one visit. Other dentists require two visits. We have a chairside computer monitor where you can see your own teeth and how they will look with their new front surfaces. Using our digital camera and the software of the CEREC system, we plan, design, and manufacture your customized veneers here while you watch.
If you are looking for smile improvement options in the Chicago area, you can find them here at the Colonial Dental Group. Please contact us today to set up an initial consultation.
Fortunately, we now have some alternatives to this type of drastic makeover, and one of them is porcelain veneers. People from all walks of life are having their teeth resurfaced with these thin porcelain covers. It is a quick way to deal with many minor tooth defects, such as:
- Discoloration that won't respond to tooth whitening
- Small chips and cracks
- Small gaps between teeth
- Slight crookedness or misalignment
Porcelain is semi-translucent, allowing the veneer to mimic closely the attributes of tooth enamel. Your dentist will choose a shade to match your natural shade of white.
Only one visit
Because we have the CEREC system for milling porcelain, we can make your veneers and bond them permanently to your teeth in just one visit. Other dentists require two visits. We have a chairside computer monitor where you can see your own teeth and how they will look with their new front surfaces. Using our digital camera and the software of the CEREC system, we plan, design, and manufacture your customized veneers here while you watch.
If you are looking for smile improvement options in the Chicago area, you can find them here at the Colonial Dental Group. Please contact us today to set up an initial consultation.
posted by
Patti
at
11:36 AM
0
comments
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Porcelain Fillings
Over the centuries, many fine things have been made out of porcelain - china dolls, plates, figurines. Dental porcelain is slightly different, but it does have that shiny, attractive look. By itself it is fragile, but when bonded to a tooth it is strong and long-lasting. It does not absorb pigment from foods or drinks, so it keeps its original shade of white, matched to your natural teeth.
We offer porcelain fillings as a superior alternative to the old metal amalgam fillings. They blend in, becoming impossible to detect as being fillings.
Inlays or onlays
These are names for two types of porcelain fillings which differ in their size. An inlay is smaller, confined within the tooth's cusps (those small projections on the chewing surface). An onlay extends over the top of one or more cusps.
Inlays can be used on the back surfaces of front teeth. But if you have decay or damage on the front surface of any front teeth, porcelain veneers might be a better solution. If you have a severely decayed or damaged back tooth, a porcelain crown would be a good answer.
Strengthening the tooth
Where a metal amalgam filling will gradually weaken the tooth, expanding and contracting in response to the hot and cold substances put into the mouth, a porcelain filling will strengthen it. That is because (a) porcelain does not respond to heat or cold, and (b) it is bonded to the tooth, rather than just being packed tightly into the cavity. This means it pulls inward on the tooth's periphery, rather than pushing outward against it.
If you are looking for an alternative to metal fillings, please feel free to call or email us. We put a high value on patient education and will be happy to answer any questions you have.
We offer porcelain fillings as a superior alternative to the old metal amalgam fillings. They blend in, becoming impossible to detect as being fillings.
Inlays or onlays
These are names for two types of porcelain fillings which differ in their size. An inlay is smaller, confined within the tooth's cusps (those small projections on the chewing surface). An onlay extends over the top of one or more cusps.
Inlays can be used on the back surfaces of front teeth. But if you have decay or damage on the front surface of any front teeth, porcelain veneers might be a better solution. If you have a severely decayed or damaged back tooth, a porcelain crown would be a good answer.
Strengthening the tooth
Where a metal amalgam filling will gradually weaken the tooth, expanding and contracting in response to the hot and cold substances put into the mouth, a porcelain filling will strengthen it. That is because (a) porcelain does not respond to heat or cold, and (b) it is bonded to the tooth, rather than just being packed tightly into the cavity. This means it pulls inward on the tooth's periphery, rather than pushing outward against it.
If you are looking for an alternative to metal fillings, please feel free to call or email us. We put a high value on patient education and will be happy to answer any questions you have.
posted by
Patti
at
11:32 AM
0
comments
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Porcelain Crowns
A severely damaged or deeply decayed tooth may require a crown to replace lost tooth tissue, provide a new chewing surface, and prevent further damage. After endodontic therapy (commonly called a root canal), a crown will be necessary. But you can have a porcelain crown without any root canal.
Placing a porcelain crowns usually requires two visits, but we have a CEREC system, so you can have your crown done here in one visit.
At first, your dentist will place the crown temporarily to check it for fit, and to check your bite, making sure your teeth come together comfortable when you close your mouth. When all is satisfactory, he will bond the crown permanently to the tooth.
Since it is made out of porcelain, it will not stain, and will not look like a dental restoration. It will look like one of your own teeth.
If you would like to know more about porcelain crowns, please give us a call, or send an email. We can schedule a personal consultation for you.
Placing a porcelain crowns usually requires two visits, but we have a CEREC system, so you can have your crown done here in one visit.
- Decay is removed and a digital photo is taken of the tooth. It is entered into the CEREC computerized system and your dentist will use the software to design your crown.
- Our CEREC porcelain mill creates the crown according to the precise specifications input into its system, using a piece of porcelain matched to your tooth color.
At first, your dentist will place the crown temporarily to check it for fit, and to check your bite, making sure your teeth come together comfortable when you close your mouth. When all is satisfactory, he will bond the crown permanently to the tooth.
Since it is made out of porcelain, it will not stain, and will not look like a dental restoration. It will look like one of your own teeth.
If you would like to know more about porcelain crowns, please give us a call, or send an email. We can schedule a personal consultation for you.
posted by
Patti
at
11:30 AM
0
comments
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Neuromuscular Dentistry
Some of the problems people face with their teeth are not due to decay, but to tooth and jaw misalignment. Two of our dentists, Dr. Dooley and Dr. Quezada, are graduates of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). They have completed rigorous post-graduate training in neuromuscular dentistry (and cosmetic dentistry).
A neuromuscular dentist works with your teeth and gums in a larger context than a general dentist. He looks at your jaw joint, its related muscles and nerves, your bite (the way your upper and lower teeth come together), and your smile's health and beauty together.
If you have been suffering from chronic headaches, you might have TMD. That is a misaligned jaw joint, and is something a neuromuscular dentist can diagnose and treat. We have technology which can test your jaw joint's movements and sounds (clicking or popping sounds are a symptom of TMD), and the electrical activity of the jaw muscles. Our dentists can analyze this to come up with a customized treatment for your particular form of TMD.
To find out more about neuromuscular dentistry in the Chicago area, please call or email us at the Colonial Dental Group to set up an initial consultation.
A neuromuscular dentist works with your teeth and gums in a larger context than a general dentist. He looks at your jaw joint, its related muscles and nerves, your bite (the way your upper and lower teeth come together), and your smile's health and beauty together.
If you have been suffering from chronic headaches, you might have TMD. That is a misaligned jaw joint, and is something a neuromuscular dentist can diagnose and treat. We have technology which can test your jaw joint's movements and sounds (clicking or popping sounds are a symptom of TMD), and the electrical activity of the jaw muscles. Our dentists can analyze this to come up with a customized treatment for your particular form of TMD.
To find out more about neuromuscular dentistry in the Chicago area, please call or email us at the Colonial Dental Group to set up an initial consultation.
posted by
Patti
at
11:10 AM
0
comments
1775 Glenview Rd.
Suite 107
Glenview, Illinois 60025-2969
