YELLOW OR DARK TEETH

Foods, beverages and smoking can all contribute to the yellowing of teeth. Although yellowing can be a part of the aging process, the effects are largely reversible and can be quickly treated with professional bleaching.

Additionally, teeth may darken as a response to an injury or trauma. In these cases, internal bruising is most often responsible for this darkening. Depending on the state of the tooth, it can be bleached externally or internally for moderate lightening. The best solution is usually the use of bleaching combined with a porcelain veneer to block out the discoloration of the tooth.

STAINS

Tooth stains can result from a variety of outside influences. Stains can be intrinsic or extrinsic.

Intrinsic stains can originate from the use of tetracycline before the age of eight, from overfluoridation during the development of a tooth, or from severe fevers. Tetracycline stains can cause dark brown or grey stains deep inside the tooth. Since these stains are located past the enamel layer and into the portion of the tooth known as the dentin layer, where bleach treatments barely reach, bleaching can only provide mild lightening. Porcelain veneers are recommended for dark stains.

Extrinsic stains can be caused by smoking, or by consuming coffee, tea, wine or even blueberries. Poor hygiene can also be responsible for these stains.

GUMMY SMILE / UNEVEN DISPLAY OF GUMS

A smile that shows too much gum or displays an uneven level of gums can be easily and dramatically improved with the sculpting or reshaping of gums.

CROWDED TEETH

When teeth appear to be crowded, an otherwise beautiful smile can look unappealing. While braces are an option, patients who don’t want to wait between one to three years to re-align their teeth can benefit from cutting edge “instant orthodontics”.

FRACTURED TEETH

Teeth that fractured can be quickly repaired with porcelain veneers, while those that are cracking or failing may benefit greatly from being promptly replaced with an implant. This helps preserve bone, since an area where a tooth has been extracted tends to lose bone very quickly. With today’s cosmetic dentistry procedures, a tooth can be replaced and be virtually undetectable.

MISSING TEETH

Today, most Americans have at least one missing tooth in their mouth. The consequence of losing a tooth can be movement of other teeth, changes in the bite, or changes in facial appearance. Many people use removable partial dentures with ugly metal clasps to replace multiple missing teeth.

Individuals with one or several missing teeth are advised to fill the space with some form of dental implant or bridge since a gap in the jaw will likely lead to movement of other teeth. This movement can negatively alter an individual’s bite and damage the jaw joints. The longer teeth are allowed to drift, the more difficult it is to restore the area.

CROOKED TEETH

Slight irregularities in the position of teeth can cause an unsightly smile. While some patients opt for braces which may take between one to three years to straighten teeth, many adults wish for a more rapid or discreet change without the use of orthodontic devices.

Today, teeth can be reshaped via a procedure known as aesthetic recontouring, a very conservative method which does not require anesthesia.

For more crooked teeth we recommend veneers. A beautiful smile can be achieved with veneers in as little as two visits.

OLD CROWNS

Crowns, or “caps” as they used to be called, have provided protection to fragile teeth for many years. Traditionally made of a metal alloy base and then covered in porcelain, these crowns tend to show a very dark area around the root once the gum recedes slightly. The crowns are known as PFMs, or porcelain fused to metal. Because the metal core does not allow light to pass through like a natural tooth, these teeth look very lifeless and dull.

To ensure a beautiful smile for years to come, Images uses all-porcelain crowns to protect teeth and provide the illusion of a translucent, natural tooth.

SILVER FILLINGS

Teeth with silver (amalgam) fillings can become darker as the silver in the amalgam fillings tends to be absorbed by the teeth. A darker tooth can also be a sign of cavities occurring underneath the amalgam. In either case it is recommended that the amalgam filling be replaced with the appropriate aesthetic restoration.

Silver fillings may allow bacterial leakage over time and can expand and contract at different rates than the tooth structure, which increases the chances of tooth fracture. It is unknown whether the mercury contained in amalgam is a health risk but it has certainly raised many questions in past years. Teeth with silver fillings are also prone to cavities since amalgam does not form a complete seal with the tooth and there is always room for bacteria to squeeze by.

WORN TEETH

Over time, teeth may shorten due to wear and grinding. Worn teeth may have flat rims, giving them an unnaturally shaped appearance. Patients who grind their teeth are especially susceptible to worn teeth, and may grind down the natural curvature of their teeth by the time they are 30 years old. Thus, someone who is 30 could appear to have the smile of someone age 55.

DENTAL IMPLANTS

A dental implant consists of a titanium screw (resembling a tooth root) with a roughened surface. This surface is treated either by plasma spraying, etching or sandblasting to increase the integration potential of the implant. An osteotomy or precision hole is carefully drilled into jawbone and the implant is installed in the osteotomy.

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root replacement and is used in prosthetic dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth. There are several types of dental implants; the most widely accepted and successful is the osseointegrated implant. This forms a structural and functional connection between the living bone and the implant. A variation on the implant procedure is the implant-supported bridge. (implant-supported denture).

TOOTH COLORED FILLINGS AND RESTORATIONS

Tooth colored fillings are specially fabricated materials, designed for use as tooth colored fillings, which are used to restore tooth structure loss, usually resulting from but not limited to dental caries (dental cavities). There are many challenges for the physical properties of the ideal dental restorative material.