Cosmetic Dentistry
Fleetwood Dental is pleased to be able to offer dental services to every age group and every member of your family. Helping you to achieve a great smile and protecting your overall oral health is important in our practice. Our doctors and their team are always available to answer questions about your dental needs and the services we can provide for your ideal treatment. We offer a wide range of services to meet the needs of your entire family.
Explore our services:
Smile Makeovers
A smile makeover uses several cosmetic procedures to dramatically improve the appearance of your smile. Some examples of these procedures include Porcelain Veneers, Teeth Whitening, Tooth Implants, and Dental Bonding. With a smile makeover, you’ll be able to overcome any obstacles to your confidence because of your smile. Whether these issues have recently arisen, or if they have been around for years, we will work with you to deliver your winning smile!
Together, we can map out a comprehensive dental plan that will work for your needs and your budget. We will educate you on all of your options, so that no stone is left unturned.
Beneficial for patients who have:
- Misaligned or crowded teeth
- Missing Teeth
- A “gummy smile”
- Excessive gaps or spaces within the teeth
- Yellow teeth
- Worn-down teeth
Porcelain Veneers
Veneers are thin artificial coverings that are applied over the front of your natural teeth to create a beautiful and attractive smile. They are typically used to correct the appearance of chipped, cracked, or gapped teeth and tooth discoloration. Our experienced dental team at Fleetwood Dental has extensive training with veneers and offers several types of elite veneer services to residents in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania and the surrounding communities.
Composite “direct” veneers are a thin composite material that is bonded to the tooth surface. They are typically less expensive than other options. Composite veneers last from about three to five years. They are applied in a single office visit.
Traditional porcelain “indirect” veneers are very thin. They are typically the most expensive type of veneer. Traditional porcelain veneers last about 5 to 10 years or more. They may require a few office visits.
Lumineer® porcelain veneers are the newest type of veneer product. Lumineers are made of cerinate porcelain. They are very thin. They cost about the same as traditional veneers and last about the same length of time. They require two office visits.
Conditions
You may be a candidate for veneers if you want to improve the way your teeth look. Veneers improve the appearance of chipped or broken teeth. They cover teeth with tiny holes or pits. Veneers can give you a white smile if your teeth are discolored from coffee, tea, wine, and cigarette smoking. If you have a gap between two teeth, veneers can make the gap disappear.
Diagnosis
Your dentist can determine if you are a candidate for veneers by reviewing your dental history and examining your teeth. Tell your dentist about your present concerns and expectations for veneers. Your dentist can help you select the type of veneer that is most appropriate for you.
Treatment
Composite veneers are bonded to your teeth in a single office visit. Traditional porcelain veneers and Lumineer porcelain veneers are fabricated from molds made of your teeth. They are designed to match the color and shape of your natural teeth. A temporary veneer may be worn while a traditional porcelain veneer is being made.
The dentist will lightly buff your tooth surface before applying the veneer. This removes a small amount of enamel from your teeth. A bonding agent is applied and the veneer is adhered to your natural tooth. A light beam is used to harden the bonding agent. Veneers are irreversible because a small part of the tooth enamel is removed during the adhesion process.
Schedule a consultation to learn if porcelain veneers are the right treatment for your smile.
Teeth Whitening
It's hard to imagine anything more appealing than a sparkling, white smile. Yet our teeth rarely stay as white as we'd like them to without a little help. Fortunately, that help is available right here at the dental office.
Teeth whitening done in a professional dental setting is a safe, effective way to brighten your smile. It's also perhaps the most economical cosmetic dental procedure. Depending on the whitening method you choose, results can be dramatic: in-office whitening, for example, can lighten teeth three to eight shades in a single hour.
Professionally supervised whitening will work faster, and protect sensitive gums and tooth-root surfaces better, than over-the-counter whitening products. Having an oral exam before you begin any whitening process is an important first step, as we want to make sure your tooth discoloration is not the result of a dental condition in need of treatment. We also want you to be aware that it can be risky to have whitening solutions applied to your teeth by untrained personnel in shopping malls. If you have any questions about which whitening method would be best for you, we would be happy to answer them.
Professional Whitening Methods
Professional whitening makes use of high-concentration bleaching gels that are not available over the counter.
In-office Whitening
This technique offers the fastest results with the most powerful whitening solutions available. First, we will cover your gums and tooth-root surfaces with a protective barrier to ensure your safety.A thin plastic device known as a retractor will hold your lips and cheeks away from your teeth as we apply a professional-strength hydrogen peroxide gel, which we will leave on for about an hour. When we remove the gel, the results will be obvious immediately.
Take-home Whitening
This is another effective way to whiten your teeth, though you will play a greater role in ensuring the best possible results and several weeks may be needed to achieve your desired level of whiteness. First, we will take a mold of your teeth and then have two thin, flexible plastic mouth trays custom-made for you — one for the top teeth and one for the bottom. You will fill the trays with whitening gel and then position the trays over your teeth. The trays are left in usually for about an hour at a time.
Caring for Your Whitened Smile
There are lots of things you can do to make sure your whitening results last as long as possible, and this will vary from person to person (six months to two years or even longer). First of all, please maintain your usual, conscientious routine of brushing and flossing every day, and keep up with your regular schedule of professional cleanings here at the dental office. Avoid foods and beverages that stain, including red wine, tea and coffee. If you smoke, use your newly whitened teeth as an impetus to quit — a good idea in any event! A minor touch-up every so often, either at home or here at the dental office, can keep your smile bright and beautiful for years.
Invisalign®
When you hear the word “orthodontics,” what comes to mind? Probably a young teenager whose teeth are covered by a latticework of metal. There are indeed many orthodontic patients who fit that description. However, there now exists an increasingly popular alternative to traditional metal braces: Invisalign clear aligners.
As the name implies, Invisalign clear aligners are made of almost invisible polyurethane plastic. Rather than being cemented or bonded to the teeth as metal or clear braces are, clear aligners are completely removable — for important social occasions, for eating, and, most importantly, for tooth-brushing and flossing. This advantage can also be a disadvantage: It means you must resist the temptation to take your aligners out more than is advised. Here are some other advantages of the Invisalign system:
- Improved Oral Hygiene: With an orthodontic appliance that is removable, you will be able to clean your teeth much more easily than if you were wearing metal braces.
- A Discreet Look: If you consider your orthodontic treatment to be a private matter, or simply feel that metal braces don't fit with your self-image, a practically invisible form of orthodontic treatment might suit you.
- More Dietary Choices: To protect metal wires and braces, some diet modifications are necessary. With clear aligners, you can still bite into an apple or a crispy pizza crust.
- Comfort: The soft, flexible material of which Invisalign is made will not irritate the soft tissues of the mouth, as metal wires and braces can.
- Teeth-Grinding Protection: If you have a teeth-grinding or clenching habit, clear aligners can function as thin night guards that will protect your teeth from excessive wear.
Clear aligner technology has been improving over the years and can correct many malocclusions that once would have been too complicated for this form of treatment. Yet there are still some situations for which traditional braces would still be best. We would be happy to discuss this in detail with you.
How Invisalign® Works
Invisalign clear aligners work the same way traditional braces do: by applying carefully controlled forces to teeth to move them into a better position. But they are not made of metal; instead, they are made of clear, flexible plastic.
Here's how it works: specialized computer software helps us design a plan for moving your teeth from their current positions into the best possible alignment. This movement will be broken down into perhaps several dozen stages. For each stage, the Invisalign company will manufacture two plastic mouth “trays” or “aligners,” one to fit over your top teeth and one for the bottom. You will wear this first set of trays for two weeks, for a minimum of 20 hours per day. You will then move on to the next set of aligners in your series to accomplish the next stage of gradual movement. You will keep doing this until your teeth are correctly aligned.
In the past several years, two features have been added to make Invisalign a more appropriate orthodontic treatment method for teenagers. Special “eruption tabs” hold the appropriate amount of space open for molars that have not fully grown in. Invisalign for teens also comes with “compliance indicators” built into the aligner material, which fade with wear. This allows parents, dentists, and the teens themselves, to make sure the trays are being worn as prescribed. Treatment with Invisalign can only be successful if this is the case.
Caring For Your Teeth During Invisalign Treatment
As mentioned above, one of the main advantages of the Invisalign system is that the trays can be removed for easy cleaning. So please don't neglect to do this! You'll need to brush your teeth after every meal or snack so that food and plaque do not get trapped in the aligners, which could promote tooth decay and gum disease. Your aligners, too, will have to be cleaned regularly; you can do this by brushing them and then rinsing them with lukewarm water.
Also, please keep in mind that while wearing clear aligners is very different from wearing braces, the importance of retaining your post-treatment results is exactly the same. You'll want to be sure to wear your retainer(s) exactly as prescribed after your treatment is completed to protect your investment in a beautiful new smile.
Composite Bonding
Cosmetic composite bonding is the perfect solution for patients with chipped or misshapen teeth. With today’s advancements, no longer will you have to suffer the embarrassment of unsightly and unhealthy silver/mercury fillings or metal margins of the past. Eliminate the dark, black appearance in your teeth with new-age, state-of-the-art, tooth-colored resin or porcelain materials using composite bonding. Bonding is a common solution for:
- Fixing or repairing chipped or cracked teeth
- Reducing unsightly gaps or spaces between teeth
- Hiding discoloration or faded areas on the tooth’s surface
Often, composite bonding is used to improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile. As the name indicates, composite material, either a plastic or resin, is bonded to an existing tooth. Unlike veneers or crowns, composite bonding removes little, if any, of the original tooth.
Composite bonding has many advantages:
- It is a quick process, which typically lasts less than one hour.
- It does not reduce the tooth’s original structure and is relatively inexpensive.
- Composite resins come in many different shades and provide better matching of shades to the natural color of your teeth.
- Composite bonds, however, are not as durable and long-lasting as veneers and crowns and may need to be re-touched or replaced in the future.
Composite bonds stain more easily and therefore require proper care and regular cleaning. In order to ensure the longest possible duration of the bonding, composites should be brushed and flossed daily. Common staining elements include coffee, tea, tobacco, foods and candy.
Aesthetic Restorations
Inlays and onlays are aesthetic restorations. They are a great alternative to traditional metal fillings, primarily because less of the tooth structure needs to be removed. Inlays and onlays are suitable for treating mild to moderate decay, and can be used to restore a cracked or fractured tooth if the damage is not extensive enough to require a crown.
Generally, inlays are small restorations that fit within the contours of the biting surface of a tooth, while onlays cover a portion or the entire chewing surface.
Inlays and onlays can be made from porcelain, gold or composite resin. Once fabricated, they are securely bonded to the tooth.
Advantages of Inlays and Onlays
Since they can be fabricated from tooth-colored materials, inlays and onlays are aesthetically pleasing. Unlike traditional metal fillings, the restoration is virtually invisible.Less removal of the tooth structure is required to achieve optimal results.
They do not cause excessive wear and tear to opposing tooth structures.
Inlays and onlays prevent the need for more significant treatment in the future.
The process for placing inlays and onlays generally requires two or more office visits. Initially, once the decay is removed, your dentist will take an impression of the tooth. A temporary restoration is placed until the custom-made inlay/onlay is manufactured in a laboratory.
Following a proper oral hygiene regimen daily ensures the success and longevity of your new restoration.