Have you ever wondered what cosmetic dentistry could do for your smile? You have come to the right place. Dr. Steve Thompson is one of the most experienced cosmetic dentists in the Plano, Frisco and Dallas area. Imagecare Dental offers a wide variety of cosmetic dental solutions. We know what it takes to achieve an amazing smile!
Cosmetic dentistry can range from inexpensive tooth whitening to full mouth reconstruction. Cosmetic dentistry can sometimes make a huge difference in as little as one or two visits.
The team at Imagecare is uniquely experienced to treat complex dental problems, even those requiring a combination of approaches including dental implants. Cosmetic rejuvenation of your smile can correct years of wear, decay, ugly old restorations and restore your smile to a work of art.
Choosing a Cosmetic Dentist in Dallas
One of the major differences between a “general” dentist and a Cosmetic Dentist is this: A Cosmetic Dentist has a strong esthetic eye, and is committed to the principles of cosmetic dentistry.
Dentists who don’t routinely perform cosmetic dentistry, on the other hand, tend to be much more concerned with just repairing teeth rather than making sure it looks fantastic too!
So how can YOU tell the difference between the two so you can make sure you don’t end up with a less qualified Cosmetic Dentist?
Here’s how:
In addition to asking for before-and-after photos, reading reviews and checking references, check to see if your Cosmetic Dentist is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).
The AACD is an organization of Cosmetic Dentists who are committed to the highest levels of education and advancement in the area of Cosmetic Dentistry. In fact, the AACD is made up of an elite, highly-trained group of Cosmetic Dentists from around the world! If you can find a Cosmetic Dentist who is a member of the AACD, chances are they specialize in Cosmetic Dentistry, which means it most likely makes up the bulk of the treatments they provide. And full-time Cosmetic Dentists will have performed many procedures that will have allowed them to hone their skills and perfect their techniques — leaving you with ideal results!
In addition to being a member of the AACD, make sure you find a Cosmetic Dentist who is a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry! This advanced certification proves that your Plano Cosmetic Dentist has spent hundreds of additional hours of advanced education to give you exceptional cosmetic dentistry.
Another qualification that is important is finding a cosmetic dentist who has extensive training in esthetics, bite (occlusion) and full mouth reconstruction. Dr. Thompson has graduated from Levels 1, 2, 3 & 4 of the OBI Foundation for Bioesthetic Dentistry. Graduates from this rigorous 2-3 year program have completed the most intense and thorough training in the world! It could be essential to you that your cosmetic dentist have an advanced understanding of orthodontics because some cosmetic treatment may require minor tooth movement.
Choosing the Best Treatment Option
As with most things; to do it right, there is no one size fits all. When you schedule an appointment with Imagecare you will get to personally meet Dr. Thompson and discuss your dental concerns and what you would like to change about your smile. We will then perform a comprehensive exam and make recommendations based on all the information that we gather.
Modern cosmetic dentistry is affordable and can often be completed in 2-3 visits. Listed below are the some of the most common options in cosmetic dentistry.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain Veneers are one of the best ways to renew your smile. The veneers give Dr. Thompson and his laboratory technician the freedom to design a fabulous smile. Two things you have to ensure before you get started: One, is finding a highly trained cosmetic dentist that has years of experience and two, is a very talented laboratory technician. Getting just one of the two right will negatively impact your results.
Porcelain Veneers are used to address multiple dental concerns such as:
- Discolored Teeth
Veneers work great to cover or mask out discoloration in teeth. Yellow, brown, grey, white spots or a banding of different colors can be corrected with the proper use of porcelain veneers. The design and thickness of the veneer must be expertly created to give you the right color rendering. - Crooked Teeth
Veneers give us the ability to straighten crooked teeth by selectively preparing the tooth to allow the ceramist to create a straight tooth that fits correctly with your other teeth. Tooth preparation is critical to success in this scenario. Veneers will give you instant straight teeth without the use of braces. - Gaps or Spaces (Diastema)
Dr. Thompson uses porcelain veneers to close up spaces between teeth. Thy can be naturally occurring spaces or spaces left from orthodontic treatment. - Worn or Short Teeth
Lengthening worn or short teeth with porcelain veneers can have a dramatic effect on your smile! But, only trust a very experienced cosmetic dentist to perform these types of veneers. Lengthening teeth requires special attention to your bite and function of your teeth. If anything is overlooked it can lead to bite stress overload on the veneers, making your veneers prone to failure.
BEFORE
AFTER
This patient wanted to have the perfect smile for a special event. We corrected some crowding, old bonding and added length. Porcelain veneers were used to create the smile she always dreamed of.
Porcelain Crowns
All porcelain crowns have replaced the old fashioned gold crowns or the porcelain fused to an ugly grey metal. While gold is still an excellent restorative choice, new types of all porcelain crowns have become popular. Emax crowns are amazing for front teeth and Zirconium crowns are strong enough for back teeth. This gives us the option to restore your mouth totally metal free! Dental crowns are used in these situations:
- Teeth that are fractured or cracked
- Teeth that need protecting after a root canal
- To replace ugly, discolored old crowns or fillings
- To correct severe rotations or tipping of teeth
- To replace teeth that have been worn down over the years
- Can be used in conjunction with Veneers to restore harmony to your smile
BEFORE
AFTER
This patient came to our office with severe wear causing an age-worn smile and some outdated crowns that did not provide aesthetic advantages. He did not like the appearance of his teeth. They were short and discolored. Dr. Thompson removed his old crowns and created ideal length, proper function and alignment to transform his smile.
Tooth Bonding
Bonding is a process by which we apply composite resin directly to your tooth.
Bonding acts to resurface the tooth to correct minor cosmetic problems.
Cosmetic Bonding has the following benefits:
- Works great to repair cavities
- It will repair small to moderate chips or cracks
- Allows us to correct discoloration in teeth
- We can use it to close gaps or spaces (diastemas) between teeth
- Effective for minor changes in length
- Can correct some problems with the shape of teeth
- Used in lieu of Silver Mercury fillings
- Used to protect exposed root surface from gum recession and abfractions
