It is so common for dental patients to come to our Toluca Lake dentists because they want to whiten their smiles—this is one of the most popular cosmetic requests in our office! Our dental team actually offers a number of treatments that can lighten and whiten the appearance of your smile. Today we’ll be talking about some of those treatment options—how they work and for whom they are appropriate.
Keep in mind that some dental patients actually achieve optimal results by combining multiple treatments!
The least involved way to lighten your smile is by using professional dental whitening treatments. The process is simple: you come into our office, and our dental team applies a topical whitening solution to your dental enamel. As you relax in the dentist’s chair, this formulation goes to work lifting stains from your teeth. This process can be repeated over multiple appointments in order to achieve optimal dental whiteness.
Some teeth are not effectively lightened by topical solutions. Plus, some people want to lighten their smiles while simultaneously achieving additional aesthetic or restorative results. These patients may benefit from treatments that actually cover the natural enamel with natural-looking restorative materials.
· Dental bonding, for example, covers the patient’s natural enamel with custom shaded and shaped dental resin. Dental bonding is used to correct minor dental damage, like small cracks and chips, and it is used to completely resurface unsightly dental enamel.
· LUMINEERS are thin porcelain restorations that are likewise used to cover the visible portions of a patient’s teeth. LUMINEERS are designed to blend with the patient’s existing smile, so these cosmetic restorations can be used to treat anywhere from a single tooth to an entire smile.
Our Toluca Lake cosmetic dentists are happy to provide you with any additional information and guidance that you may need. Just contact our dental team when you are ready to get started!