Cosmetic Dentistry: A Comparison of Procedures
You’ve probably read about porcelain veneers, cosmetic bonding, and …and you’re pretty sure that cosmetic dentistry would give you a more attractive smile. But what do the various procedures really achieve, and how do they compare in price and longevity? As your San Diego cosmetic dentist, Dr. Eshom wants you to fully understand three of the most popular treatment options that can improve your smile. Call us today at (858) 455-9151 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Eshom.
Porcelain Veneers
Veneers require two visits for placement, and they can last 20 years or longer – but they are the most durable and esthetic option for a smile makeover, so the initial investment is high. Over time, the financial investment certainly pays off. Veneers will permanently whiten, straighten, reshape, repair chips, and can completely change the look of a smile. For patients who want either an extreme smile makeover or many goals accomplished with one treatment, veneers are an ideal option.
Dr. Eshom has extensive experience designing and placing porcelain veneers, and he works with a respected dental lab to hand craft each restoration. See the porcelain veneer before and after gallery, with Dr. Eshom’s actual cases here.
Cosmetic Bonding
Using custom-shaded composite resin, Dr. Eshom can bond teeth to correct chips, gaps, misalignments, and permanent tooth stains that don’t respond to chemical whitening treatments. Bonding is safe for children, so it works well to repair chipped permanent teeth that are not fully developed. The cost of bonding is quite reasonable, but before undergoing this treatment, understand that cosmetic bonding typically lasts five to seven years, then it requires replacement.
Oftentimes, Dr. Eshom performs bonding on patients who are not prepared for the initial investment of porcelain veneers, but want to improve their smile now – and perhaps get veneers later.
Porcelain Crowns
Usually considered for structural repairs of cracked or decayed teeth, porcelain crowns are custom made to blend with a patient’s other teeth. While crowns are a restoration, they can also be used for esthetic improvements. For instance, like veneers, crowns can whiten, straighten, and reshape unattractive teeth. The difference is, crowns are thicker than veneers and bonding, so they can look bulky. On front teeth, crowns may appear unnatural. For teeth that do not show when you smile, crowns provide a strong, white treatment option. Dr. Eshom works with talented ceramists, using quality dental ceramic, to create highly esthetic porcelain crowns for our patients.
About Teeth Whitening
In general, dentist-administered chemical teeth bleaching, or teeth whitening, will improve the brightness of teeth up to eight or 10 shades. The whitening you receive at a dentist’s office is more potent than over-the-counter whitening strips, rinses, and tray kits. However, the type of stains your teeth have will dictate which whitening solution will yield best results. As a cosmetic dentist in San Diego, Dr. Eshom has treated thousands of patients with whitening solutions that produce effective, lasting results.
When tooth stains develop as a result of foods, drinks, tobacco use, or age, they’re extrinsic. This means that they occur on the outer layer of teeth, in the enamel. Much like a china dish, teeth can soak up stains and turn brown, yellow, or another shade that isn’t truly white. With professional-strength in-office whitening or home whitening, Dr. Eshom can help you reduce or altogether eliminate unattractive stains and discoloration on tooth enamel. He also offers deep laser teeth bleaching to eradicate the most stubborn, deep-seated tooth stains.
Should you have one or more teeth with intrinsic stains, chemical whitening will not prove effective. Intrinsic stains are embedded inside teeth. Examples include tetracycline stains from antibiotics taken by the patient or by the patient’s mother during her pregnancy; white, horizontal stains called fluorosis that occur during childhood; and injured teeth that darkened after sustaining nerve damage. Eliminating intrinsic stains requires treatment with bonding, veneers, or white crowns. Applying one of these restorations will cover the visible front surface of stained teeth, producing a smile that’s as bright as you choose.
Your Cosmetic Treatment Plan
At a consultation, Dr. Eshom will thoroughly evaluate your dental condition and take x-rays to better understand the structures not visible to the naked eye. He’ll talk with you and ask questions about your expectations, so he can understand what you want to accomplish with cosmetic dentistry. Then, showing you images and explaining procedures, he’ll provide you with options to improve your smile’s appearance. To schedule your consultation with San Diego cosmetic dentist Dr. David Eshom, call us today at (858) 455-9151.
Thanks for sharing these comparisons. When looking for the right procedure for your needs, it helps to be able to compare different means of obtaining similar results. If anything, you’ll avoid paying for a costly procedure that does even more than you’re asking for.
ReplySeeing these comparisons laid out in front of you makes the decision much easier. It’s much easier to tell this way exactly what you need and what you don’t need to pay for.
ReplyThe comparisons of the three procedures looks interesting. Would any of them require laser work to be done on the teeth? I ask this because my dentist talked to me about using laser technology to put in a crown on my teeth.
ReplyThere are so many cosmetic possibilities so it’s important to get the dental information from someone who has done porcelain veneers and crowns and Invisalign. This lets the dentist and patient make a treatment decision based on the cosmetic goals of the patient and what would be the most conservative option to their tooth structure. Give us a call if you have questions.
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