Something to smile about: Cosmetic Dentistry of San Francisco

In the past, people visited a dentist primarily to maintain healthy teeth and gums. While preventive care is still vitally important for oral health, today a visit to your dentist can also lead to new ways to improve the look of your smile.

Since aspects of cosmetic dentistry are based on health, the condition of your teeth not only affects your health but also has a direct impact on how you feel about your appearance. Crooked, misshapen, or discolored teeth cause you to cover your mouth when you speak or smile. Even worse, because of these issues you may resist the urge to fully smile or laugh. Cosmetic dentistry offers solutions to give you a smile that you want to show off and to gain the confidence that goes with it.

A popular cosmetic treatment is teeth whitening. Initially, many of our patients try over-the-counter whitening strips or toothpastes. While most of these products remove only some of the stains from the outer enamel surface, results are limited and short-term. The most effective whitening methods come from your dentist.

Professional dental bleaching can be performed in our office in about an hour with instant results. Or we or can provide you with a custom-fit at-home kit. The main difference between these two options is the time it takes for noticeable whitening. With an at-home kit, you will gradually see teeth become whiter with optimal brightness in about 14 days for most people.

With cosmetic dentistry, your smile can be amazing! In addition to whitening, there are veneers, composite (tooth-colored) bonding, and natural looking porcelain crowns. These treatments provide instant improvement in your appearance by correcting discolorations and issues with shape or alignment. Veneers are thin shells of porcelain, custom made at a laboratory and cemented onto the outside visible surfaces of your teeth. With composite bonding, the dentist applies the material directly onto the affected tooth and re-shapes the surface to look just like a natural tooth. Crowns are typically used to repair and protect a damaged or weakened tooth by completely covering the entire tooth.

Cosmetic dentistry offers a wide array of treatments to allow any patient to gain confidence in his or her appearance. Talk with Dr. Arellano about the most appropriate procedure to give you something to smile about.