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Top 5 Cosmetic Dental Procedures for a Perfect Smile

Posted by Dr. Julie Boudreault On 6-08-2024

A bright, symmetrical smile plays a crucial role in your confidence. In an ideal world, you feel proud of your smile and eager to show it off at any opportunity. Unfortunately, most people are not born with a flawless Hollywood grin.

Your teeth may be crooked, discoloured, or missing entirely. The good news is that imperfect smiles are not a permanent condition. There are many modern cosmetic dental procedures available to solve your smile woes.

At Milltown Dental, we offer a range of cosmetic dental services to help you achieve the smile of your dreams. We will explain our five most popular procedures in this post.

1. Professional teeth whitening

One of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures is teeth whitening. Teeth almost always fade and discolour over time because of genetics, lifestyle factors, and plain old aging. 

For example, regularly drinking coffee, tea, or red wine can cause your smile to yellow. Coffee and tea contain darkly pigmented tannins, which seep into the pores of your teeth and leave stains behind.

Plus, these beloved drinks are acidic, meaning they can wear down tooth enamel over time. Red wine contains anthocyanins (the pigments that give grapes their purple hue), tannins, and acids.

Smoking and tobacco products, meanwhile, have a much more severe effect. Nicotine gets trapped in the pores of your tooth enamel, slowly turning brown and yellow as it’s exposed to oxygen. Tobacco isn’t just bad for the aesthetics of your smile, however, it’s also catastrophic for your overall oral health.

Additionally, simply getting older affects the brightness of your smile. Your tooth enamel naturally wears down through the years due to unavoidable wear and tear, and as a result, your teeth can appear more discoloured over time.

Professional Whitening vs. Over-the-Counter Products

Professional teeth whitening from your Milton dentist can help. At Milltown Dental, our whitening services address discolouration effectively and safely, so you can smile confidently. 

Crucially, you should only whiten your smile under the supervision of a dental professional. Over-the-counter whiteners often contain harsh chemicals that can increase tooth sensitivity.

Additionally, incorrectly applying them can lead to uneven whitening, which looks even worse than the original discolouration! Store-bought products also rarely produce the desired results, whereas professional whitening delivers the intended effect.

At Milltown Dental, we offer both in-office laser whitening and take-home whitening kits. Our professional home whitening kits are very safe and effective. You’re given custom-fitted dental trays, ensuring an even application. This also helps keep the solution away from your gum line, reducing the chance of increased tooth sensitivity.

2. Invisalign clear aligners

Professional teeth whitening is the secret to a brighter, whiter smile. Orthodontics hold the key to straighter, more symmetrical teeth. Dr. Julie Boudreault of Milltown Dental specializes in teeth straightening using Invisalign braces. These are a highly discreet, effective, and customizable method preferred by many of our patients.

Invisalign works by applying subtle pressure to your teeth to slowly guide them into the proper positions. You’re given a series of custom-fitted clear aligners to your mouth, ensuring a perfect fit.

Each aligner is slightly different from the last. Every two weeks, you switch to a new set of trays, which continue gradually and gently moving your teeth to resolve misalignment and bite issues.

Unlike traditional metal braces, Invisalign is almost invisible. The aligners are made from clear plastic, so they’re extremely discreet. Furthermore, Invisalign treatment doesn’t require any dietary modifications. You can still eat your favourite foods without worry—just make sure you take out your Invisalign before meals.

3. Porcelain crowns and bridges

Dental crowns (also called caps) are a restorative and cosmetic treatment. The porcelain crown or cap is placed over a tooth that has undergone a root canal or filling following severe damage. It saves and strengthens the original tooth, while also maintaining the structural integrity of the root.

Crowns are custom-made to match the shape and colour of your surrounding teeth. This means that crowns improve both your smile’s appearance and the function of the affected tooth. Porcelain crowns, in particular, have an extremely natural look. 

Bridges are used when the natural tooth cannot be saved or is missing. The bridge is attached to the remaining neighbouring teeth, thereby closing the gap and restoring your smile. Like crowns, bridges are made from a durable, natural-looking material that’s colour-matched to the rest of your smile.

4. Porcelain veneers

With porcelain veneers, you can dramatically improve your smile’s appearance in just two dental visits. They’re used to treat a wide range of cosmetic dental issues.

So, regardless of whether you suffer from tooth misalignment, severe staining, damaged teeth, or gaps between your teeth, veneers could be for you. 

Porcelain veneers are thin shells permanently bonded to the front surface of your teeth, effectively hiding any flaws in your smile. They look very natural, so no one will know you’ve had cosmetic work done. The porcelain we use is tooth-coloured and actually reflects light in the same way as natural teeth. Additionally, it won’t stain over time.

During your first dental visit to Milltown Dental, we prepare your teeth for the veneers and take impressions of your mouth. These impressions are sent to the dental lab that custom-manufactures your veneers. At your second appointment, your cosmetic dentist adheres the veneers to your teeth, using a strong composite resin.

5. Dental bonding

Dental bonding is one of the most affordable and quickest cosmetic dental services available today. In just a single 30-60 minute visit to your Milton dentist, your smile will be transformed. The procedure is non-invasive (and doesn’t require any tooth enamel to be removed), so no recovery time is needed. Plus, it doesn’t need local anaesthesia.

Your cosmetic dentist applies a tooth-coloured resin to the damaged or affected tooth, which is cured and hardened with a special UV light. Then, we shape the bonded resin to match the other teeth for a natural appearance.

This procedure is used to repair chipped, cracked, crooked, and discoloured teeth. Alternatively, dental bonding can close gaps or spaces between teeth or fill damage from small to mild tooth decay. 

Cosmetic Dental Services in Milton

Milltown Dental, located in Milton, Ontario, is your cosmetic dentistry specialist. We offer a comprehensive list of cosmetic dental services, including teeth whitening, Invisalign braces, porcelain crowns, veneers, and dental bonding. Our procedures are also affordable, so you’ll never be priced out of a more perfect smile.

Are you looking for a dentist in Milton, Ontario? To learn more about our great services, call Milltown Dental at (833) 318-3281 or contact us here.

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