Does your smile need a little makeover? Interested in the different types of cosmetic dentistry? Want to learn the most common and advanced cosmetic dentistry?

According to an article at dentalhealthsite.com, “Common Cosmetic Dentistry”

“A great smile often acts as a booster for your self-confidence and modern cosmetic dentistry has enabled us many advanced procedures to reshape our smile. You must consult your dentist first to determine which cosmetic dental procedure is best for your needs.

Here are some of the most common cosmetic dental procedures that can help you own that beautiful smile.

Teeth Whitening or Bleaching

This procedure is usually done inside the dentist’s clinic but you can also get some products at some retail stores. Their prices vary so you can definitely find one that will suit every budget. This kind of treatment is used to eliminate tooth stains and discoloration. The results can be instantly achieved and you can enjoy whiter teeth for a long time.

Dental Implants

This type of dental procedure is a better alternative to traditional dentures because it could give you the kind of teeth that will look and feel more natural. The teeth will be planted directly into the bones so you will not have to worry about your teeth falling off. These tend to be costlier though.

Dental Bonding

Teeth could easily get crooked or broken due to injury and some people are just born with not-so-perfect teeth. So, dental bonding is highly recommended to fix these kinds of problem. A clay-like material will be applied to the teeth and a special kind of intense light will be used to harden the material and give the best possible results.

Veneers

These are usually made of porcelain to achieve shiny and white teeth. Dental veneers are specifically recommended for people with tooth discoloration or heavy stains problems. This dental procedure could also correct damaged teeth due to other causes. It could effectively change the way your teeth look and could create a positive effect on your teeth’s appearance.

White Fillings (Composites)

Fillings are commonly used to repair the damages or holes caused by cavities. They often come in metallic form which is highly noticeable when you smile but now, these fillings also come in white shades that will easily blend with the color of your teeth. These are known as composites. You will achieve a more natural look with these kinds of fillings.

Dental Bridge (Fixed partial denture)

This will help eliminate the flat look or effect caused by the absence of teeth. A denture will be placed on the location of the missing tooth and will be connected by a crown. This could definitely bring back the natural appeal of your smile. Bridges are better alternatives to removable partial dentures in comfort level as well as aesthetic appeal.

Dental Contouring

This is used to align or straighten crooked or overlapped teeth. It could also help people who have problems with the shape of their teeth. The procedure is simple and there will be no to little pain that is completely tolerable.”

Want the best dentist in town? No, need to look any further contact Dr. McElhinney of Reno Laser Dentistry for information on cosmetic dentistry or visit renolaserdentistry.com for additional information.

Your smile says a lot about youself. Is your smile at its greatest potential, maybe you’re missing a tooth or more? Your smile can affect your social life, self-esteem, and dental health.

According to an article at ada.org, “The week of April 22-28 is National Prosthodontics Awareness”

“The American College of Prosthodontists sponsors the celebration to provide patients with information about proper oral health, including oral cancer detection; how to best care for missing teeth; and the benefits associated with seeing a prosthodontist.

“Encouraging patients to receive the best quality care including routine oral health examinations benefits the entire profession of dentistry,” said Dr. Avinash S. Bidra, 2012 NPAW co-chair.

During National Prosthodontics Awareness Week, prosthodontists nationwide will host oral health screenings, lectures and community service outreach.

“One of our primary goals is to provide much-needed care to patients through a variety of events organized by ACP Sections across the country,” said Dr. Lawrence E. Brecht, 2012 NPAW co-chair. “Prosthodontists working together with dentists in their communities will make this year’s NPAW the most successful on record.”

Some 178 million people in the U.S. are missing at least one tooth, according to the American College of Prosthodontists. As such, increased awareness about proper oral health is critical. From proper denture care techniques to the importance of an annual oral cancer screening, National Prosthodontics Awareness Week will focus on providing information to patients about the causes of tooth loss.”

Dr. McElhinney of Reno Laser Dentistry has perfected thousands of smiles in the Reno area and he can help you too. Click here to contact Dr.McElhinney for more information and appointment availability.

Who doesn’t want a dental makeover! Have you ever thought of getting cosmetic dentistry? Many of us wake up and look at our smile and think only if I could get this done or that. Well, why wait any longer our smile is an important part of our self-esteem. Don’t you think you deserve it!

According to an article at dentalnewsarticles.com, “Many people may feel they need to fix one thing with their smile. Usually it’s to whiten their teeth. Or maybe to fix gaps in between teeth.”

“Still, there are plenty of people who don’t like anything about their smile or their teeth. These people may avoid smiling completely, and get out of as many social situations as they can. A solution for this group is a smile makeover.

A smile makeover is simply a way to get more than one cosmetic dental procedure performed rather than doing so piecemeal. Common problems fixed by a smile makeover include:

• Crooked teeth
• Stained or discolored teeth
• Missing teeth
• Uneven teeth
• Chipped or broken teeth
• Uneven teeth
• Gummy smiles

Common cosmetic dental fixes for some of these problems may be porcelain crowns or veneers. These can fix gaps, chips, broken teeth, or cover badly stained teeth that teeth whitening alone cannot fix. For more intensive procedures, dental implants are the best solution for missing teeth.

During your smile makeover procedure, your cosmetic dentist will look at your teeth, gums, and bite function. While it is important for you to be happy with the way your smile looks, it is more important that your jaw is in alignment and that your bite is proper. This avoids other problems that can affect your overall health. After it is clear you do not have gum disease or need a root canal before looking at what can be done cosmetically, your cosmetic dentist will speak to you about your options.

Factors for deciding what might be best for your smile makeover depend on length of time for the procedure, your healing, your overall health, and more. While cost is important, many cosmetic dentists offer payment plans, and some will help you with insurance if it is deemed that your health is suffering without getting certain procedures; for example, missing lots of teeth.”Smile makeovers are good at solving lots of dental issues at once.”

Click here to read the entire article from dentalnewsarticles.com:

Whatever the dental issue is Dr. McElhinney located in Reno, is an expert in cosmetic dentistry procedures. Click here to contact Dr. McElhinney’s dental office to set-up an appointment.

The mouth plays a key role in digestion with the help of the teeth, necessary for chewing (mastication); teeth tear, grind, and cut up food in order to swallow. An adult usually has 32 teeth in his or her mouth. Our teeth consist of incisors, canines, molars and premolars. So why is oral hygiene so important? Let’s just think of our teeth like a Roman arch. Each brick in the arch has pressure from the bricks on both sides. The keystone is the last brick added to an arch to stabilize all the other bricks. Our dental arches are similar in many ways. If a tooth is lost the teeth on either side and the tooth above can shift and drift, including growing longer into the space where the tooth is missing. Shifting creates gaps where more food can be trapped which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Also the tooth that grows into the space can only fit in that one place which changes the bite. This can create stress and pain in the teeth and TMJ (jaw joint) and muscles of the jaws which can contribute to muscle-tension headaches and migraines. Contact Dr. McElhinney’s office for more information his dental staff is very knowledgeable and professional.

Patients should be aware that your mouth naturally changes with age, especially once the natural teeth are removed. Bone and gum most often recede or shrink, which cause the jaw to align improperly. With any patient that has traditional dentures shrinking gum ridges can cause dentures to fit less securely, chewing difficultly, and may change the appearance of a patients face. Dentures that are fitted improperly can cause health problems such as infections, oral hygiene is essential to maintain adequate oral care. Generally, the looseness problem can be corrected by relining the denture with new plastic.

However, there’s too little bone for an adequate foundation for any denture and remaking the denture only helps to a limited degree. Consequently, the 2nd and 3rd sets of dentures generally don’t provide the same chewing ability as the first. There are several alternatives for denture wearers, and those considering dentures, to protect the bone and make dentures more secure and comfortable, such as saving a couple roots of teeth or placing implants to secure the denture.

If a patient has bad teeth and wants to have dentures, it is advisable to save the canine teeth in both jaws to support and retain the denture. This protects the bone from shrinking and the lower canine teeth can have snap-attachments placed to hold the denture in place. If a person has no teeth, then implants can be used to stabilize and secure a denture. Dental implants offer a variety of alternatives for replacing missing teeth. Dr. McElhinney is an expert on dentures and implants, contact his office for more information.