Veneers
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Veneers are very thin, custom-made pieces of tooth-shaped porcelain that are created by a professional dental laboratory. Veneers are bonded to the front of your teeth to help enhance your healthy, beautiful smile.
Veneers can be used to transform your smile, and they are often an alternative to crowns for many different situations. Just like other dental restorations, veneers are very durable, but they may need replaced over time so you can keep your smile looking its absolute best.
Here are just a few reasons that patients at Old Greenwich Dental Associates have seen us for porcelain veneers:
- Create a uniform, white smile through cosmetic enhancement
- Correct severely discolored or stained teeth that won’t respond to teeth whitening treatment
- Improve the appearance of crooked or misshapen teeth
- Fill in unwanted or uneven spaces
- Correct teeth that are too small or large
- Restore worn or chipped teeth
How Is A Porcelain Veneer Placed?
Two visits to our Old Greenwich dental office are typically necessary for receiving veneers. During your first visit, your dentist will prepare your teeth by lightly buffing and shaping them to make room for the thickness of the veneer. This is a pain-free process that typically requires no anesthesia. During this first appointment, we will also take a mold of your teeth and help you choose the appropriate color/shade of veneer that will best match your other teeth.
When you come in for your second visit at Old Greenwich Dental Associates, your teeth will be cleansed to ensure a long-lasting bond. After this cleansing, your dentist will apply a bonding cement between your tooth and the veneer, and a special light beam will be used to harden and set the bond. When you leave our office, your new veneer will be fully set and functional.
What Are Lumineers?
Lumineers are similar to porcelain veneers, except they are much, much thinner – sometimes as thin as a contact lens! Like veneers, Lumineers are bonded to the front of your teeth to help enhance your healthy, beautiful smile. Unlike with porcelain veneers, however, you will likely not need any part of your teeth to be scaled back or reshaped when you opt for ultra-thin Lumineers.
Lumineers can be used to correct a variety of dental problems, including stained/discolored teeth, chipped teeth, gaps between teeth, crooked teeth, and small or misshapen teeth. If your smile suffers from any of these issues, then contact our Lumineer-certified dentists at Old Greenwich Dental Associates to learn more about how Lumineers can help you achieve the smile of your dreams.
How Are Lumineers Placed?
Lumineers typically require two visits for preparation and placement. During your first visit, we will take an impression of your teeth to send away to the specialized Lumineers laboratory.
A couple weeks later, you’ll return to Old Greenwich Dental Associates to have your new, custom-made Lumineers put into place. Your dentist will etch your teeth slightly to prepare them for placement and then bond each Lumineer into place one at a time. Before you leave, your teeth will be checked to ensure that your Lumineers allow a comfortable and functional bite.
Dentures
What Are Dentures?
Dentures provide a realistic-looking artificial replacement for missing teeth and their surrounding gum tissue. Unlike dental implants, dentures are removable. There are two different types of dentures:
- Complete dentures are worn when all of a patient’s teeth are missing.
- Partial dentures can be used when some teeth are missing but other natural teeth are still intact and functional.
What Are The Benefits Of Wearing Dentures?
Dentures can provide numerous benefits beyond just a boost to your smile’s aesthetic appearance, such as:
- Enhanced smile and facial tissue
- Restored chewing function
- Improved digestion
- Improved speech capability
- Stabilization of any remaining teeth that would otherwise shift out of alignment
What Does The Dentures Process Entail?
For complete dentures only: The process of getting dentures depends in part on which of two different treatment types you choose to undergo: conventional or immediate. Conventional dentures are made after the teeth have been removed by your dentist and your gum tissue has healed.
The healing process typically lasts 4 to 6 weeks, and during this time you will go without teeth. Immediate dentures, on the other hand, are created before the teeth are removed and are put in right away. With immediate dentures, you do not have to go without teeth, but adjustments will be necessary after the gum tissues heal and shrink.
For both complete and partial dentures: Getting dentures is a process that takes several appointments spread out over many weeks. Highly-accurate molds and measurements are necessary to create a well-fitting, custom denture. It might take several appointments to ensure that your dentures are the correct color, shape, and fit. We will adjust and place the completed denture at your final visit, giving you a comfortable, natural-looking fit.
When first adjusting to new dentures, it is normal to experience some soreness, difficulty in speaking and eating, as well as increased saliva flow. As you get used to the dentures, these issues will resolve themselves. Proper care of your dentures, along with regular visits to Old Greenwich Dental Associates, are necessary to extend the life of your dentures, and you will be given instructions on how to best care for your new dental appliance.
Porcelain Crowns
What Are Dental Crowns?
Sometimes a tooth has become too damaged to be helped with a dental filling or other restoration. When this occurs, your dentist at Old Greenwich Dental Associates may recommend a dental crown to restore and protect your injured tooth.
Some possible reasons for needing a dental crown or cap include suffering a broken or fractured tooth, experiencing tooth decay that can’t be helped with a filling, needing a root canal, fracturing an existent filling, or desiring a cosmetic enhancement for misshaped or discolored teeth.
How Is A Dental Crown Placed?
Typically, you will need two appointments to get your dental crown. During your first appointment, we will take molds or impressions of your teeth, which we’ll use to create your customized crown. Your dentist will also place a temporary crown onto your tooth during this appointment. Before placing your temporary crown, your dentist will first numb your tooth and clean away any decay or debris. Then the temporary crown will be affixed, and this will help to protect your tooth while you wait for the dental laboratory to make your final, permanent crown.
Approximately two weeks later, you will return to see us for your second appointment. At this time, we will remove the temporary mold from your tooth. Your tooth will be numbed and cleaned again to ensure there is no remaining decay or debris. Then we will place the new crown, making sure that your bite and tooth spacing is accurate and comfortable.
Invisalign
Invisalign and Invisalign Teen use state-of-the-art orthodontic technology that straightens your teeth using series of clear, plastic aligners. You wear each set of aligners for 2 weeks and then move on to the next set.
With traditional braces, the wires and brackets may cause you to feel self-conscious about your smile, and the brackets can also cause discomfort when they rub against the inside of your mouth. You will often have to use special wax when the irritation becomes unbearable.
With Invisalign, the smooth plastic aligners cause no irritation. You don’t have to fret when you run out of wax, because you won’t need it! You simply pop your aligners on and go about your regular day. Plus, with Invisalign’s clear aligners, no one will even know you’re straightening your teeth!
Eat Anything You Want & Play Whatever Instrument or Sport You Want With Invisalign!
With traditional metal braces, you may need an adjustment period during which you’ll essentially relearn how to play a wind or brass instrument. If you play sports, you have to wear a special mouth guard to protect your mouth and appliance. You won’t have any such hassle with Invisalign.
Unlike semi-permanent braces, Invisalign aligners are removable. This means you can simply remove your trays when you’re ready to eat or play. You don’t have to avoid foods that could break or damage braces, and you’ll never have to worry about making adjustments in how you play sports or instruments. This is the kind of freedom you’ll enjoy with Invisalign.
Less Maintenance & Better Health With Invisalign
With Invisalign aligners, you brush your teeth and gums the same way you did before your treatment process began. You simply remove the aligners to brush and floss. Your aligners are easy to care for as well; you just brush and rinse them when you brush your teeth. Invisalign keeps it easy for you!
Worry-Free Aligner Schedule With Invisalign Teen
At Authentic Smiles, we know your child has a busy schedule with school, chores, and extra-curricular activities. Invisalign Teen gives you and your teen one less thing to worry about during his or her high school days.
Invisalign Teen features a built-in easy-to-track indicator that lets your child know when it’s time to use the next set of trays. The blue dot on the outside of the tray itself turns clear when it is time to change to the next series of clear aligners. Furthermore, while most teens are very compliant with aligner wear and tear, most parents worry about their teens losing or misplacing their clear aligners. Thankfully, Invisalign Teen includes several free replacement aligners should they be needed. Let Invisalign Teen take the stress of braces out of your child’s teen years!