If you’ve considered a smile makeover, but you can’t decide which procedures would best suit your needs, you need a cosmetic dentistry consultation. I’m Dr. Charles Martin of the Richmond Smile Center, and as a cosmetic dentist, I help people understand their treatment options. Every person is unique, as is every smile, and knowing that you’ve invested time and thought into your smile makeover will give you peace of mind about treatment.
The most common procedures that people weigh are porcelain veneers and bonding. Both of these techniques will correct stains, chips, misalignments, and odd spacing in front teeth. However, veneers require a longer procedure and cost significantly more.
Porcelain veneers are handmade restorations that fit on the front surface of teeth that show in a smile. Each veneer is designed and created to look natural, while providing extreme durability. The design process involves analyzing dentition, as well as a patient’s skin tone, facial symmetry, lip line, and size of facial features. In addition, the dentist will discuss the patient’s preferences to determine what the “ideal” smile should look like. The patient may wear temporary veneers while the permanent restorations are being fabricated. At a lab, a dental ceramist analyzes the design, then tints high-quality porcelain to match teeth that will surround the veneer in the patient’s smile. This ensures that the restorations will look seamless. The ceramist then hand makes each veneer as if it were a fine sculpture. The final veneers are send to the dentist’s office, then secured to the patient’s teeth with permanent dental cement.
Bonding, on the other hand, is a procedure that involves tinting composite resin to match a tooth, then applying and shaping the resin on the tooth. The material used for cosmetic bonding is the same material we use for tooth-colored fillings. While bonding is a great option in some situations, it isn’t as durable or beautiful as porcelain veneers. Bonding is great to repair chipped teeth on children or as a temporary cosmetic solution before veneers are placed.
If you’d like to discuss your smile, call the Richmond Smile Center at 888.22.SMILES to schedule a consultation with me. I’ll answer all of your questions, teach you about treatment options, and help you make an informed decision about your smile makeover.
