Cosmetic Dental Treatments

We are all looking for the perfect smile, and even though a perfect smile comes in all shapes and sizes, they all have two factors in common.  One, is that the teeth are straight and even, and second is that the color is brilliant.  Dental Designs of Maryland offers two popular and effective cosmetic treatments that bring these two factors together.  

Zoom! In-Office Teeth Whitening

The first common trait is that beautiful teeth are white.  When our adult teeth come in at around six years of age, the enamel is likely very white and pearly.  This is because as children, we have not yet subjected our teeth to harsh foods and drinks that stain and erode our teeth.  Likewise abrasive toothpaste and hard tooth brushing can also lead to roughing and abrasion of the enamel, which causes microscopic pits that pick up and hold onto stain.  We also wear down our enamel over time through bruxism, the habit of clenching and grinding our teeth, as well as other issues such as gastric reflux which wear down the back sides of our teeth.  Other foods to have in moderation include coffee, tea, citrus fruits, red wine, dark berries, soda, sports drinks, and energy drinks.  All of these are extremely hard on teeth and can accelerate their wear.   Fortunately, most of these stains can be reversed by our Zoom! In-Office whitening.  We use a special whitening solution that is many times stronger than what you can find over the counter, paired with the special Whitespeed blue LED light that activates it, to take years off of your smile in just one visit.  This treatment is a good place to start your cosmetic dentistry journey.  Once you whitening your teeth, we have a fantastic foundation on which to build porcelain veneers to get you the perfect smile.  

Porcelain Veneers

After the whitening, your teeth may look brilliantly white but still malalignment or misshapen.  This is where porcelain veneers come in.  Considered the de-facto treatment in cosmetic dentistry, porcelain veneers are thin shells of glass-like porcelain that are bonded over the front surface of the teeth.  They can reshape and realign slightly crooked teeth, and allow us to create a perfect looking smile.  Veneers can cover all types of imperfections including:

• Spacing between teeth
• Minor malalignment of teeth “instant ortho”
• Chips, cracks, and roughness in the enamel
• Internal staining from antibiotics
• Worn down or eroded teeth that are too short
• Congenitally malformed teeth that have an unusual shape

  Together with whitening, porcelain veneers are the second part of creating a beautiful smile.  Our goal is to give you brilliantly white teeth that are perfectly shaped with a smooth pearl like texture.  If you are looking for a smile makeover, call one of our offices in Perry Hall, MD or Hanover, MD to schedule a cosmetic consultation with Dr. Nina-Cecilia Santos.