Cosmetic Dentistry

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are handcrafted, custom-made, thin shells of dental porcelain placed on your front teeth. They are stain resistant and custom-tinted to blend with surrounding teeth. Veneers can dramatically transform your smile by correcting flaws like:

• Chips
• Cracks
• Gaps
• Misalignment
• Misshapenness
• Stains

How we can help: Your dentist will meet with you in a consultation to discuss your ideal smile and then create a custom design for your porcelain veneers. He or she will then secure temporary veneers to your teeth while a ceramist fabricates your one-of-a-kind restorations in our Richmond dental lab. Once the veneers are ready, you’ll return to our office so the dentist can remove your temporaries and place the final veneers.

Cosmetic Bonding

Chips, stains, gaps, and cracks on your front teeth can easily detract from an otherwise attractive appearance. But if you’re hesitant about investing in dental veneers, consider cosmetic bonding instead. Although bonding doesn’t last as long as veneers, it is generally faster and less expensive than bonding. Plus, like veneers, bonding resists stains, so it holds its natural-looking color.
How we can help: Your dentist will use the same custom-tinted, liquid resin used for white fillings for the procedure. Once he or she has prepared your tooth or teeth, your dentist will tint the resin to blend with the existing tooth enamel and apply it as needed. A soft light will then harden the substance, and your dentist will sculpt and polish the newly shaped tooth so it looks completely natural.

Cosmetic Orthodontics

You may associate braces with middle school or high school students, but more adults than ever are turning to orthodontics to improve their bite and reposition their teeth for cosmetic reasons. Modern braces can be made from clear or tooth-colored structures, and some dentists offer clear, removable aligners.
How we can help: Depending on your needs, your dentist may recommend functional orthodontics, as well as cosmetic orthodontics, to reposition your teeth to enhance your appearance. Traditional braces involve brackets glued to your teeth and a wire that gently forces the teeth into proper alignment. Clear braces can refer to clear brackets and wires or completely acrylic aligners, much like a retainer, that move teeth. Your dentist will recommend the best solution for your teeth and lifestyle.

Teeth Whitening

When performed by a dentist, teeth whitening, or bleaching, is quite effective. Your dentist can administer a higher concentration of whitening solution than over-the-counter systems, so the results are more significant. We offer several types of teeth whitening procedures at our Richmond dental office. Your dentist will help you determine the best solution for your unique lifestyle and goals.
How we can help: Chairside or in-office teeth whitening is performed in about an hour. Your dentist will use either a highly concentrated bleaching solution or a gel-and-light system to whisk away stains caused by common foods, beverages, tobacco, age, and/or tetracycline medications. If you would prefer to lighten your teeth at home, professional take-home kits can do the job in about two weeks. Both systems yield amazing results of up to 10 shades difference. In some cases, your dentist may suggest a combination of home and in-office bleaching. If teeth whitening does not work for you, consider porcelain veneers or cosmetic bonding to indefinitely eliminate stains.