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IMPROVING YOUR SMILE
Dental aesthetics is an integral part of facial aesthetics. An attractive smile enhances one’s personality and self-confidence. Your gums and the shape, position and colour of your teeth are important in making your smile look healthy and attractive.
A better smile can be achieved by simple means. For instance, bleaching discoloured teeth or using veneers to correct the shape of a malformed tooth. Some cases however, may require treatment by different specialists in order to achieve the desired result.
Bleaching/ Teeth Whitening
Bleaching is a process where the tooth discolouration is 'whitened' to a lighter shade. It removes the staining agent through chemical means. It is a safe procedure when carried out under professional supervision. Treatment results usually depends on the severity of the discolouration. Both vital (ie. live) and non-vital teeth (eg. Tooth with root removed) can be bleached and may take several visits to complete. It is not effective on dental restorations such as amalgam fillings, metal or porcelain crowns etc.
Teeth can discolour for various reasons. The dentist will recommend the most ideal method based on your oral condition after an in-office examination to establish the cause and nature of your tooth discolouration, as well as provide you with more information on the various types of whitening procedures available, duration & frequency of treatment.
Find out more about Teeth Whitening.
Veneers
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth to improve the overall appearance of teeth. They are made of either thin plastic resin or porcelain and can be placed to
- correct poorly formed or mildly malpositioned teeth,
- close gaps between teeth
- mask internal stains
- restore partially broken down teeth
Tooth preparation is minimal and confined to the enamel structure. The veneer is bonded to the tooth structure with a tooth coloured resin cement. Several visits are necessary to complete treatment. Patients should be aware that this is usually an irreversible process, because it's necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the shell
Inlays and Onlays
Tooth coloured inlays and onlays are restorations placed usually on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. An inlay fits within the confines of the teeth. An onlay covers the entire chewing surface of the tooth. These can be made of either plastic resin or porcelain. The procedure involves removing decayed tooth structure or old fillings, preparing the tooth cavity, taking an impression of the cavity to fabricate a custom-fit inlay or onlay. Two visits are required to complete the treatment
Orthodontics (ie. Braces)
Orthodontic deals with the arrangement of teeth and the way teeth come together (the bite). Orthodontic treatment aims at bringing teeth and jaws into a harmonious position with the face. This may improve the appearance, oral health and function. For more information on braces, click here.
Crown lengthening surgery
If you have a ‘gummy’ smile because your teeth appear short (teeth are actually of the proper length but are covered with too much gum tissue), a crown lengthening procedure may be done to improve your gum line and to expose a natural, broad smile. For more information on crown lengthening surgery, click here.
Combined Management Cases
Some cases require multi-disciplinary management in order to achieve the full desired aesthetic result. Eg. A person may need braces to correct the alignment of his/her teeth, followed by veneers to correct the shape of selected tooth/teeth.
Learn more about Smile Aesthetics. | | | |
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