6 Most Popular Cosmetic Procedures
Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures to Get the Smile of Your Dreams
Cosmetic dentistry can do wonders for anyone wanting to change their smile. See that chip on your lower incisor? Bonding or a porcelain crown can fix it. What about the multiple missing teeth in the upper left quadrant? Dr. Sexton can place a porcelain bridge to not only give you back your smile but also restore chewing function. And that’s not all, at Gregory Sexton, DDS, we offer several cosmetic dentistry procedures to get you that much closer to the smile of your dreams.
Keep on reading to find out what treatments are popular among our Morristown patients…
1. Whitening
Teeth whitening is one of our most popular cosmetic dentistry procedures for residents of Morristown who want to brighten their smile. While it’s true that over-the-counter teeth whitening products have gained popularity over the years, nothing beats the stronger bleaching agent used by professional dentists like Dr. Gregory Sexton.
Patients have the option of receiving in-office treatment or taking home a customized tooth whitening kit. But first, Dr. Sexton needs to check the current color of your teeth and determine the reason for discoloration. Once you agree on the best course of action, you’ll spend at least two to four weeks undergoing a series of teeth whitening treatments.
Professional teeth whitening doesn’t just leave you with a dazzling smile, with the removal of stains from both the dentin and enamel, your teeth become healthier and stronger. If you continue to observe good oral hygiene, the results of teeth whitening can last for a long time.
2. Clear Correct
Don’t want to suffer through two years with metal braces glued to your teeth? Clear Correct may just be the answer to the dazzling, perfectly aligned teeth you want. The team at Gregory Sexton, DDS, uses 3D-imaging technology to map up your treatment plan, allowing you to see how much your smile will change even before the cosmetic procedure begins.
The invisible clear aligners used in this treatment make Clear Correct a popular cosmetic dentistry option for Morristown residents who want to straighten their teeth in comfort and style. Patients wear different sets of aligners for three-week periods and Dr. Sexton uses the time between the four phases of aligner therapy to monitor your progress and create the next set of aligners.
Since the aligners are nearly invisible, they’ll have little impact on your daily routine. Nonetheless, you’ll have to wear them throughout the day, only taking them off when brushing and flossing or eating and drinking.
3. Bonding
Bonding is one of the most cost-effective cosmetic procedures to repair not only chipped or broken teeth but also discoloration. It involves using a tooth-colored composite resin, which Dr. Sexton molds to a size and shape similar to the rest of your teeth, before curing it with a high-intensity light.
Bonding can successfully cover a damaged tooth and give the appearance of a complete set of perfect teeth.
4. Tooth-Colored Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings are yet another nearly invisible cosmetic dentistry treatment option, only this time Dr. Sexton uses it to treat cavities. Gone are the days of metal amalgam fillings noticeable from across the room as soon as you open your mouth. With this cosmetic procedure, a composite filling, in an almost identical shade to your natural teeth, is used to fill the holes.
Since the filling is also bonded to your natural tooth structure (instead of the other way around), the procedure is minimally invasive.
5. Porcelain Crowns
Sometimes the cavity may be too large to treat with tooth-colored fillings. What can be done when there’s little healthy tooth structure left after removal of the decayed parts? Cosmetic dentist Dr. Sexton recommends the tried and tested method of replacing the entire crown.
A porcelain crown fits over a damaged tooth, letting you keep the underlying tooth structure while also restoring its shape, size, and appearance. Crowns can also be used to prevent a weak tooth from breaking or even hold a cracked tooth together. You should also consider this option if you experience pain while chewing or suffer from tooth sensitivity.
Given the multitude of gumline issues crowns can fix, it’s no surprise that porcelain crowns are a popular treatment option among the residents of Morristown.
6. Porcelain Bridges
Just as the name suggests, a porcelain bridge “bridges” the gap where one or more teeth used to be. Support for the bridge comes from neighboring teeth (or dental implants, in cases of multiple missing teeth), while the middle section replaces the lost tooth with a prosthetic porcelain one.
While it’s safe to say the treatment option is popular because it corrects your smile, we cannot disregard the functional benefits of replacing missing teeth. For one thing, you’ll restore chewing function to all parts of your mouth, distributing the pressure of the bite function correctly, and for another, you’ll stop the remaining teeth from shifting out of position and into the open area.
Cosmetic Dentistry in Morristown, Tennessee
What do you need to get the smile of your dreams? Is it filling the gap where your right upper canine used to be? Or removing the consequences of your love of coffee from the shade of your enamel? Whichever “look” you’d like your smile to take, Dr. Gregory Sexton DDS can help you get there.