
If you’re unhappy with how your smile looks, contact Polished General Dentistry. Our dedicated team is happy to offer a variety of cosmetic dentistry services to brighten, straighten, and perfect even the most damaged teeth, leaving patients with their ideal smiles at last. Dr. Megan Shelton has years of experience and advanced training that allows her to offer patients from Carlsbad, Encinitas, and other nearby communities the aesthetic-enhancing services they need to achieve their goals. During consultations for cosmetic dentistry in our Carlsbad, CA dental office, we’re happy to answer questions, show sample cases, and help patients find the right treatment for their individual case.
Injection molding is an advanced technique for placing veneers. After performing a digital wax-up of the teeth and creating a 3D model of your smile to plan the procedure, composite material is carefully applied to the tooth. This particular method of implant placement helps us create composite veneers that blend in with the rest of the smile and offer improved strength compared to traditional veneers. They also tend to have longer lifespans.
One of the most popular treatments we offer is porcelain veneers, and they allow us to quickly and comfortably repair any amount of damaged dental structure or smile flaws. The process is simple and should be completed over the course of two appointments. During the initial visit, we remove a small amount of surface enamel, capture impressions, and place a temporary veneer. These temporaries allow patients to get used to the look and feel of their veneer prior to placement of the final restoration. Once we receive the final veneer from the dental lab, patients return to our dental office to exchange the temporary for a custom porcelain veneer. Then, the final veneer is cemented into place over the front facing surfaces of teeth, allowing patients to conceal any number of smile flaws, including chips, cracks, gaps, and stains. Veneers are a great option for patients who want to enhance the overall appearance of their smiles without undergoing extensive restorative or cosmetic procedures.
For those patients in need of more advanced treatments like crowns and bridge but who want to avoid a negative impact on the appearance of their smiles, metal-free, all-ceramic restorations offer the ideal solution. Crafted from high-quality ceramic that is precisely shaded to match patients’ smiles, metal-free restorations offer patients durable, long-lasting smile repair that looks completely natural. Like traditional dental crowns and other restorations, these all-ceramic varieties are placed over the course of two appointments. During the initial visit, we prepare the tooth, capture impressions, and place a temporary restoration. Once we receive the custom crafted crown or other restoration from our dental office, patients return to exchange their temporary for a custom restoration. Unlike gold or porcelain-fused-to- metal materials, the all-ceramic solutions are safe and effective for those patients who experience allergies or sensitivities to metal.
Teeth whitening is without a doubt the most frequently requested cosmetic dentistry service we provide here in Carlsbad. We offer both in-office and at-home treatment options to meet the needs of any patient. In-practice teeth whitening offers predictable results up to ten shades brighter in just about an hour. This solution is ideal for those patients looking for quick results.
The process is simple: our team places a protective cover to isolate the gums and soft tissue. Then, we apply a coat of teeth whitening gel to the surface of patients’ teeth. After about fifteen to twenty minutes, we remove the gel and determine the patient’s progress. We reapply as necessary until they achieve their desired dental shade. At-home teeth whitening kits offer the same predictable results over the course of about two weeks of daily application. Time frame for treatment, teeth whitening agent strength, and wear times are all customized for individual patients, and our personalized at-home teeth whitening kits include custom-fitted application trays and professional strength teeth whitening gel.
While we can’t actually make patients’ teeth longer, crown lengthening is a treatment that reveals more healthy structure below the gum line in order to prepare the tooth to support a dental crown, fixed bridge, or other restoration. However, removing gum tissue around only the tooth to be treated would alter the appearance of patients’ smiles. Crown lengthening removes a small amount of tissue surrounding teeth so the gum line looks even and the appearance of smiles are not impacted.
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