What is the goal of esthetic dentistry?
The goal of esthetic dentistry is to completely transform your average or damaged smile into an award-winning smile.

What is the value in paying for this service?
If you don’t think you can show your teeth when you smile, you may feel severely limited in personal encounters and professional settings. The debilitating effect this can have on your life can make you shy and withdrawn, even if you are an otherwise outgoing person.

I’m not so vain as to need a perfect smile.
This is not about vanity, nor have we ever billed a single client for perfection.

Esthetic dentistry is all about individual beauty beyond comparison and self confidence that comes from within. There is nothing vain or ego-driven about this. It is about you being your best and no one else’s.

The psychological impact of this service is only part of the equation, though. Real science goes into making something concrete out of a feeling of new confidence and performance.

In order to do this, we have to carefully examine every aspect of your smile and determine which. esthetic dentistry treatments must be implemented to correct the challenges that confront you.

What are some examples of what you can do to restore my teeth?
A few examples of the many esthetic dentistry services we offer include, but are not limited, to the following:

Crooked teeth that would otherwise need painful and embarrassing metal braces can now be corrected with painless invisible braces.

Teeth with gaps between them can be corrected with cosmetic dental braces, cosmetic dental bonding, or thin veneers placed on the sides of the teeth to fill in the gaps.

Discolored teeth that need to be whitened can be treated by cosmetic resin or professional teeth cleaning.

If your gums are uneven and extend over the tops of your teeth when you smile, we can use a technique called crown lengthening to make your teeth alone visible when you smile without your gums being visibly embarrassing to you.

If your teeth are too long, or too shore, they can be reshaped with special tools or dental bonding to make their edges smoothly follow the curve of the lower lip.

Esthetic dentistry employs a variety of tools, technology, and techniques that are not always used by general dentists. Many of its benefits are purely cosmetic, but others have real medical value as well. Because of this, practitioners of this highly specialized discipline must pursue credentials in licensing in general dentistry as well as cosmetic dentistry so that every patient gets the maximum benefits that any given procedure can provide.

Labels: cosmetic dental bonding, cosmetic dental braces, cosmetic dental veneers, esthetic dentistsry

I would like information on Invisalign, and I am also looking for a dentist.

Thanks you for your enquiry. We would be more than happy to have you as a patient. Invisalign is one of several orthodontic options that we offer at our office. If you could provide us with your phone number I will have one of our patient coordinators give you a call to set up an appointment.


Dale J. Brant, DDS
Charles Campbell, DDS
713.795.5905
888.790.0309


Thanks for your enquiry. Once we determine if you are a good candidate for home bleaching you will have several different home bleaching options available to you. Fees can range from $200 to $1100 and this is all dependent upon what treatment option that you would choose. The first thing that we would have to do is a comprehensive exam; once this is completed we will then be able to bleach your teeth.

Thanks,
Dale J. Brant, DDS
888.790.0309
713.795.5905

Labels: cosmetic dental veneers

My daughter has just had bonded veneers to six teeth, and she was not shown how the finished product would look. She is now is very unhappy with the result.
Can it be removed?

Thanks for your help.


Thanks for your enquiry. When we bond on porcelain veneers it is done to last a long time. You also need to keep in mind that bonded porcelain veneers can be removed. We remove old porcelain veneers by trimming them off. The answer to your question is “yes” they can be removed, but in most cases something needs to be done to replace them, unless they were no-prep veneers. I hope this helps you out.

It would be in your daughter’s best interest to contact her dentist and discuss her concerns with them. In a lot of instances, small adjustments can be made to the veneers to change their appearance.

Thanks,

Dale J. Brant, DDS
Charles Campbell, DDS

Labels: cosmetic dental veneers

A dark tooth is a tooth that turns almost black because of a blood flow problem. This can happen to a baby tooth or an adult tooth. People always get very upset when they see a dark tooth-especially in the mouth of their child. Actually, it is less of a problem for children than adults.

With children, a dark tooth is almost always caused by some kind of injury that slightly loosens the tooth. Most of these injuries are minor, but they are normally forceful enough to displace a tooth just enough to interrupt its blood supply.

In most instances, however, the tooth eventually tightens back in its socket and normal blood flow returns. The tooth whitens again. Little intervention is needed in these cases. However, we do not encourage parents to assume that it is all right to do nothing if they see a dark tooth in a child’s mouth.

Bring your son or daughter to the dentist for a full dental checkup. The severity of the injury must be assessed in order to determine if observation is the best course of action, or if some type of intervention is required.

Now with adults, the problem is usually a lot more severe.

A dark tooth in the mouth of an adult indicates that the nerve of the tooth has already become infected and the root is on its way to dying. In almost all instances, a root canal is required to save the tooth itself. There are a few exceptions to this where very resilient tooth roots remain alive in spite of the fact that the adjoining nerves that connect to them wither and die.

In any respect, it is necessary to restore the whiteness a tooth once it has been properly treated and salvaged. There are four ways that cosmetic dentists can do this.

One method is to simply whiten a dark tooth with cosmetic dental whitening. This procedure uses a series of special bleaching agents that are applied both in the dentist office and at home.

If the tooth only has a part of its surface that has become dark, cosmetic dental bonding resin can be spread over the area and used to restore normal tooth color.

Another treatment method we use is the application of cosmetic dental veneers. These thin, porcelain sheets are custom made to mimic the natural color of surrounding teeth and lay right over the surface of the tooth.

A fourth treatment option is to cap the tooth with a cosmetic porcelain crown. Porcelain is an exceptionally hard substance and allows the patient to eat a normal diet. It prevents everyone from ever knowing that the person had a root canal..

Labels: cosmetic dental crowns, cosmetic dental veneers, cosmetic tooth whitening, dark tooth

Ask the Dental Experts
Our philosophy is to help our patients achieve and maintain exceptional dental health. We work hard to make sure that our level of care is deserving of our patients’ respect and confidence. Our tradition of preventive dentistry is the basis for all service and care in our practice. We welcome all questions and comments regarding dentistry in the hope that we increase your dental "IQ" and help you make better dental health decisions.

I am interested in veneers for my lower teeth and was wondering how much this would cost at your clinic. Also, where are you all located?
Thanks, Scott.

Hi, Scott… thanks for your interest. The cost of this type of project will vary depending on several factors…how many teeth are involved, difficulty of managing your bite, need for any soft tissue treatment, etc. We would want to see you, get some x-rays to avoid surprises, get some photos and discuss options with you personally. This is not something to be quoted at arm’s length….. too complicated and too many variables.

I suggest that you make an appt for an exam and consult so we can give you correct information.

Chuck Campbell, DDS
Dale Brant, DDS
(713) 795-5905

Labels: cosmetic dental veneers, porcelain veneers, Veneers

Ask the Dental Experts
Our philosophy is to help our patients achieve and maintain exceptional dental health. We work hard to make sure that our level of care is deserving of our patients’ respect and confidence. Our tradition of preventive dentistry is the basis for all service and care in our practice. We welcome all questions and comments regarding dentistry in the hope that we increase your dental "IQ" and help you make better dental health decisions.


I would like to close the gap in my two front teeth. I would like to discuss the options that I have for that procedure.
-Krystal


Hi, Krystal – good question. If there are no surprises (underlying pathology, surprise decay, old trauma, close bite,etc..etc..), there are a couple of ways to do this:

Labels: cosmetic dental veneers, porcelain veneers, Veneers

Cosmetic dentists can do wonders to restore the health, vitality, and sheer beauty of the human smile. Advanced technology makes it possible for cosmetic dental procedures to repair almost any problem with teeth or gums. Many problems can be solved with very simple procedures. Others require much more complex methods and surgical techniques. Because every patient is different, cosmetic dental procedures tend to be highly individualized to the needs of the person as well.

Cosmetic dental bonding is a simple procedure that involves applying a special composite resin to teeth surfaces in order to cover chipped and discolored areas. It is a painless procedure, and it has proven itself a superior alternative to metal fillings because the resin mimics the natural color of teeth and is more benign to the mouth than metal fillings.

Tooth whitening is performed when teeth become discolored for any number of reasons. Smoking and drinking coffee can change teeth from white to yellow in a short matter of time. Some prescription medications can also discolor teeth severely. Even certain healthy teas that people have begun to substitute for caffeine and nicotine can cause teeth to lose their color. Mild to moderate discoloration is normally reverse with a bleaching solution that is applied both in the dental office and through two weeks of self-care at home. More severe cases may require the use of cosmetic dental veneers, which are made from porcelain that provides a hard, reliable overlay for tooth enamel. Veneers are stain resistant and will normally last for many years.

For fragmented or missing teeth, more aggressive cosmetic dental procedures are necessary. In the past, teeth that were badly cracked were often pulled and replaced with a bridge. Today, cosmetic dentists can often save a damage tooth by performing a root canal and capping the tooth with a porcelain crown. This procedure is also used to repair teeth that have lost metal fillings. It not only creates a new chewing surface, but it also helps prevent infection.

Implant dentistry is the most advanced of all cosmetic dental procedures. It involves placing a titanium alloy implant in the jaw that the bone then accepts and grows around, much like it does a natural tooth root. After the implant area has healed, which can take anywhere from 3-6 months, the dentist then places a porcelain crown over the implant to create an entirely new tooth.

Cosmetic Dentistry
Technology in Cosmetic Dentistry
Gingivectomy and Gingivoplasty (Gum Removal)
Cosmetic Dental implants
Cosmetic Teeth Procedures
Cosmetic Dental Care
Cosmetic Dental Treatments
Cosmetic Dental WorkCosmetic Dentists

Cosmetic dental procedures are continually evolving as new technology emerges and dentists continue to develop new treatment options for patients with discolored, damaged, or missing teeth.

Labels: cosmetic dental bonding, cosmetic dental braces, cosmetic dental implants, cosmetic dental procedures, cosmetic dental veneers

Thanks to new advances in dental technology, a wide range of cosmetic teeth procedures are now available to the general population. Some of these are very simple procedures that can be performed in one or two office visits. Others are more complex and require the use of very sophisticated instruments and very special dental training.

One of the more basic and common cosmetic teeth procedures is tooth whitening. It takes only two office visits spaced two weeks apart to perform. During the visit, the dentist bleaches the teeth with a special gel. Each night at home, the patient also applies special bleach for about 20 minutes, and may also be instructed by the dentist to use Sensodyne toothpaste. When the procedure is complete, the dentist will seal the bleach with a special light that hardens it and helps coat and protect the teeth.

When tooth enamel is too deeply stained for standard teeth whitening to correct, another very popular cosmetic tooth procedure is the application of dental veneers. Veneers are made from porcelain and are extremely hard and stain resistant. Not only can they make teeth look whiter, but they can also be used to correct very minor tooth alignment problems.

Dental bonding is yet another cosmetic procedure that not only improves the color of teeth, but also helps repair teeth surfaces. When teeth become cracked or develop pits, the composite resin used in dental bonding can restore a smooth surface. Also, this procedure has become the preferred method of filling cavities over that past few years. Amalgam fillings do not match the color of teeth, and they also can cause problems when they expand and contract in reaction to changes in temperature. Cosmetic dental bonding resin is mixed to complement the existing color of teeth (or improve it) and integrates with tooth enamel much more safely and efficiently.

The more advanced cosmetic teeth procedures—dental crowns and dental implants—involve replacing a significant portion of tooth surface or creating an entirely new tooth altogether. Porcelain crowns are made to match the size of the original tooth so they can repair major fractures or missing pieces in its surface. If a tooth has to be extracted, or has already been lost, cosmetic dental implants are used as a superior, and more permanent alternative to dentures. A titanium implant in the jaw bone creates a new tooth root, and a porcelain crown is placed over it to create a new chewing surface.

Houston Cosmetic Dentists
Cosmetic Dentists
Cosmetic Dental Work
Cosmetic Dental Treatments
Cosmetic Dental Care

Cosmetic teeth procedures like the ones discussed in this essay can only be performed effectively by trained professionals who have studied advanced cosmetic dentistry techniques in addition to their general dentistry training. If you need any improvement whatsoever in the color and quality of your teeth, our team can help restore a better quality of life and a more confident face to the world the minute you pick up the phone and schedule an appointment.

Labels: cosmetic dental bonding, cosmetic dental braces, cosmetic dental crowns, cosmetic dental veneers, cosmetic teeth whitening

Labels: cosmetic dental bonding, cosmetic dental braces, cosmetic dental crowns, cosmetic dental procedures, cosmetic dental veneers

Labels: cosmetic dental bonding, cosmetic dental crowns, cosmetic dental implants, cosmetic dental veneers, cosmetic dentistry

Thanks to new treatments and technology, there are now more cosmetic dental procedures available to patients than ever before. The good news is that regardless of how long a particular procedure may take, or how complex the process may actually be, cosmetic dentistry has evolved to such a level of precision that there is little, if any, discomfort involved in any of these treatments. That means you should call and schedule an appointment if you have been putting off going to the dentist out of fear of pain. Skillful hands can ensure a winning—and pain free smile—here at the Medical Center Dental Group in Houston, TX.

Some of these procedures are elementary and simple, while others require more precision, time, and complexity.

Cosmetic dental bonding, for example, is a very simple process used repair chipped or discolored teeth with a special composite resin that has been custom-mixed to produce the desired color correction in the smile of the patient. Small cracks and pocks often develop in teeth over many years of chewing. The dentist applies an extremely mild acidic solution to the teeth enamel, which etches tiny, microscopic lines in tooth surfaces. The bonding agent is then applied, which instantly adheres to the etched tooth enamel, fusing to its surface. A special light is then used to harden and set the bonding, creating a smooth, restored surface. Patients often remark that this is the most painless experience they could ever hope to have in a dental chair.

Teeth not only become pocked and cracked, but they also become severely discolored for any number of reasons. Drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes never helps tooth color. Certain prescription medications as well can turn teeth a yellowish color. There are two cosmetic dental procedures used to reverse discoloration and restore a white, healthy smile. One is cosmetic tooth whitening, and the other is cosmetic dental veneers.

Tooth whitening is performed using cosmetic dental bleach that is applied in two office visits normally spaced two weeks apart. In the interim time between visits, the patient uses a special tray to apply similar bleach at home. Sensodyne toothpaste is also recommended as an adjunct to this procedure. The longevity of results varies from patient to patient, depending on what lifestyle choices the patient makes to alter detrimental eating and drinking behaviors.

Another popular cosmetic dental procedure for tooth whitening is the use of porcelain veneers. Veneers overlay the tooth enamel and are very strong and stain resistant. Even if a person continues to drink coffee or smoke, veneers tend to maintain their color. Usually veneers are not applied, however, merely for correcting coloration problems. Like dental bonding, one of their main benefits is to correct pitting and chipping of teeth, and in some cases, minor alignment problems that are noticeable, but not severe enough to justify orthodontic treatments.

But what if a tooth suffers more damage than simple chipping? What if a piece of the tooth breaks off, or if the tooth cracks severely? The most common cosmetic dental procedure is the use of a dental crown. A crown, like a veneer, is made from porcelain, and custom-molded to mimic the original tooth. It fits over the damaged tooth like a cap, which is why crowns in general dentistry are often referred to as caps.

For teeth that have been knocked out, or that have decayed to the point that they have to be extracted for the health of the patient, dental implants offer a much more attractive alternative to dentures. Dental implantation is the most complex of all cosmetic dental procedures and is generally used only as a last resort. However, when done by a trained specialist who knows what he or she is doing, the new implant will look, feel, and function as an indistinguishable replacement for the original. Dental implants consist of a titanium alloy base that acts like a tooth root embedded in the bone, an abutment that supports a crown, and a porcelain crown that provides an attractive appearance and reliable chewing surface. Some of our patients often comment that they sometimes forget they have implants because these artificial teeth work often feel just like the ones they were born with.

Cosmetic dental procedures like the ones we have looked at today require years of special training. Be sure to read the biographies of our resident dentists, Dr. Dale Brandt, Dr. Charles Campbell, and Dr. Elizabeth O’Sullivan-Winslow. There, you will find all the assurance you need to see how the staff at the Medical Center Dental Group has everything you need to give you a beautiful, confident, healthy, and truly winning smile.

Labels: cosmetic dental bonding, cosmetic dental crowns, cosmetic dental implants, cosmetic dental procedures, cosmetic dental veneers, cosmetic dentistry, cosmetic tooth whitening

Cosmetic dental veneers are overlays that restore a white, uniform appearance to teeth by covering the damaged or discolored enamel. Porcelain dental veneers are the most cosmetic and durable veneers that can be used to restore a natural, healthy smile. They are applied topically and require no anesthetic—making them one of the most painless experiences you can have in a dental chair. Even better, they are designed to last, and will not require repeated treatments and follow-ups if they are professionally designed and applied.

If your smile has become less than perfect, cosmetic dental veneers may be the ideal solution for you. If your teeth have been chipped over time, have little pits or holes in the surface, or are simply shaped in an irregular way, a crown would be too drastic for you. We can fit porcelain veneers right over the odd shapes and damaged portions of your teeth and create a whitened, smooth appearance. If you have been thinking you might need braces to correct minor tooth alignment problems, you might actually not. Cosmetic dental veneers have been successfully used to fill out the gaps between teeth and make individual teeth look more distinctive and proportional.

Of course, the most common reason people get porcelain veneers is to correct tooth discoloration. Any number of things can cause teeth to stain badly. Cigarettes and coffee are often the most common reasons people end up with very badly stained teeth. Even if you have never smoked, you may very well drink a lot of coffee and still end up after a period of years with yellowed teeth. Porcelain veneers have proven the most effective form of veneer to correct this problem. Porcelain is extremely hard, and it is completely non-permeable. If you get porcelain dental veneers and then continue to drink coffee, they won’t stain the way your teeth did.

You may not smoke or drink coffee, however, and conclude that you will never need cosmetic dental veneers. This may not be the case if you drink tea as a substitute for coffee. The more exotic teas that are becoming increasingly popular are full of dyes that can stain your teeth just as surely as coffee or cigarettes. Some prescription medicines also contain chemicals that can discolor teeth. While it is possible to eliminate caffeine from the diet, it is not possible to do without certain medications. If you are in this position, please consider the very viable solution of cosmetic dental veneers.

Another reason you might want to consider porcelain veneers is the presence of too many visible fillings in your mouth. You may have been very cavity-prone as a child and have been treated with a significant number of silver-amalgam fillings. Cosmetic porcelain dental veneers can easily cover up these dark spots on your smile and make you look like you never had a cavity in your life.

Not all people who come to the Cosmetic Dentistry Center for tooth veneers are coming because of damaged or chemically-discolored teeth. Some were cavity-prone children in their younger years, and have lived many years as adults with visible amalgam fillings that put dark spots in their smiles. Porcelain veneers, though amazingly tough, are nonetheless thin enough to cover up these cavities.

Remember too, that a cosmetic improvement to your teeth is just that—cosmetic. You do not have to have anything seriously wrong with your teeth to give yourself a lasting, white, and attractive smile that will last the rest of your life. Give us a call today for more information.

Labels: cosmetic dental veneers, cosmetic dentistry, porcelain veneers