Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your appearance. A beautiful, bright, healthy smile can increase self-confidence and overall life satisfaction. Many regular dental treatments can be cosmetic. Modern tooth-colored fillings are virtually invisible when compared to traditional silver fillings. Tooth-colored crowns or caps can be placed instead of gold or silver.

As an expert in cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Paris can discuss with you the best treatments that can be used to greatly improve your smile and the way you feel about yourself.

Cosmetic Contouring

Reshaping or Cosmetic Contouring is an ideal treatment for very small fractures or chips or to simply reshape what nature has given you to a more aesthetically pleasing smile. Contouring can also change your smile line. If one front tooth is a little longer than the other, contouring can even them out.

Since the natural process of aging flattens out the edges of the front teeth and tends to square off the angles, cosmetic contouring can round the corners of each tooth to soften them, making them appear more feminine when necessary. While men's teeth tend to be angular and strong, often squared off, women's teeth are usually more attractive when the corners are rounded off. Pointed canines, which sometimes have a vampire look, can be rounded and softened with cosmetic contouring. And lastly, often symmetry of the smile can be achieved simply by contouring the teeth.

And, once Dr. Paris has finished the treatment, that's it; no replacements or touch-ups are necessary and the cost and time involved are minimal.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain dental veneers can be an excellent option for patients interested in improving the appearance of chips, stains, cracks, and a variety of other tooth imperfections. They are custom-designed to look, feel, and function just like your natural teeth. They are constructed to match the size, shape, and color of your surrounding teeth. Porcelain dental veneers provide durable, natural-looking results that can last for decades. They require no extra maintenance aside from routine brushing, flossing, and regular teeth cleanings.

Crowns

Crowns are full coverage reinforcement restorations that bring teeth back to their proper look and function. They're longer lasting, but require more aggressive prep work than a veneer (teeth must be reduced by 1.5 mm reduction as opposed to the .5 reduction required for veneers). Although it's always preferable to preserve the structure of a natural tooth, it isn't always feasible. For example, if an old filling has broken down, once the decay is removed, the tooth's biting surface is undermined, so it needs to be supported by either an only, which goes over just the tooth's cusps, or a full-coverage crown.

Crowns have the longest life span of all restorations. They can last up to 15 years or more.

Fixed Bridge

Few incidents have greater impact on dental health and personal appearance than tooth loss. When one or more teeth are missing, the remaining teeth can drift out of position, which can lead to a change in the bite, the loss of additional teeth, decay and gum disease.

When tooth loss occurs, Dr. Paris may recommend the placement of a bridge. Designed to replace missing teeth and support surrounding teeth, a bridge is a grouping of interconnected crowns. If performed by a well-trained cosmetic dentist like Dr. Paris, bridges are effective and durable and can last an excess of 10 years.

Implant Dentistry

If you have missing teeth or are unhappy with removable bridgework, you may be an excellent candidate for dental implants. A dental implant is an artificial tooth which is surgically placed in the jawbone to substitute for a missing tooth.

Implants provide a stable foundation upon which replacement teeth can be firmly attached.

Implants have improved the quality of life for many people, restoring natural facial structure which often suffers as a result of missing teeth and improve self confidence with teeth that are permanent, safe and reliable.

It generally takes about six months for the surgical implant to heal before the final installation of the artificial tooth or teeth can be finished.

Dentures

Complete or partial dentures can replace your missing teeth and give you the confidence to smile. Dentures can be used to replace teeth lost due to trauma, decay or, typically, gum disease. It is important to replace missing teeth not only since teeth help with eating food but also they help support the facial muscles and are critical with speech.

There are two different types of removable full dentures; immediate and conventional. Immediate dentures are typically made when the patients existing natural teeth are being removed and the new dentures are delivered the day of the extractions. Conventional dentures are typically made when existing dentures are being replaced.

A partial denture is a removable dental appliance that replaces multiple missing teeth. It can be attached to the teeth with clasps, which is like a small metal "c" clamp that hugs a nearby tooth, or it can be attached to the teeth with crowns with precision attachments (hidden clasps). Both types typically have a metal framework and plastic teeth and gum areas. A temporary partial denture might have a plastic base with no metal.

Teeth Whitening

Healthy, uniform, straight teeth can be marred by discoloration, stains, or a dulling of the enamel. Many of our patients find that a simple tooth whitening treatment is all that is needed to rejuvenate their smiles and enhance their overall appearance. At our dental office, we offer both at-home and in-office teeth whitening systems; our in-office treatment can whiten the teeth by up to eight shades in just 45 minutes. After isolating the teeth from the gum tissue, we apply a whitening gel directly to the teeth. After three 15-minute sessions, the teeth are noticeably brighter, and the results can last for years with proper care.

Dental Bonding

Minor cosmetic flaws, such as small chips and cracks, can be repaired with a dental bonding treatment. This technique involves the direct placement of dental cement to the tooth to correct an aesthetic flaw; once the bonding agent has been applied to the tooth, it is shaped and molded so that it sits flush with the tooth and blends in harmoniously. It is then hardened and polished so that it looks natural.

Gum Contouring

The ideal gum line falls evenly with the shape of the lips so that the smile exposes as little gum tissue as possible. Excessive gingival display, or excessive gums, occurs when the smile exposes more gum tissue than normal. Often called a "gummy smile," this condition may cause teeth to appear smaller or uneven.

Excessive or uneven gums can be a result of many different factors. Jaw misalignment may cause the upper jaw to protrude, which gives the appearance of excessive gums. This protrusion may be a result of speech patterns shaping the jaw, genetics, or malocclusion. Abnormal tooth eruption is a common reason for excessive gingival display and may cause your teeth to appear crooked or uneven. Because the muscles in your lip dictate the exposure of your smile, sometimes a hyperactive upper lip muscle may expose too much gum tissue.

There are a number of ways Dr. Paris can correct a gummy smile. After diagnostics to determine the cause of your gummy smile, he will work with you to determine the best treatment option.