A-List Smile

March 2006 Special Advertising Section

It’s no surprise that cosmetic dentistry is one of the fastest growing areas in the dental industry. As continually evolving technology is making a better smile easier to achieve, self-improvement shows like Extreme Makeover are visually driving home the notion that good teeth can make all the difference in one’s overall well-being.

Think your smile is in need of a makeover? Here’s a look at some of the most popular cosmetic procedures.

Teeth Whitening
What it is: Teeth whitening, or vital tooth bleaching, lightens teeth and removes stains. It can be done either during a dental visit or at home using a custom-fit tray that a patient applies daily; both employ various concentrations of a peroxide solution. Zoom and Britesmile are the brands to watch for.

Best candidates: The patients who get the best results are those whose teeth are free from crowns, veneers, and other restorative material. 

What you can expect: With the in-office procedure, dentists can lighten teeth up to fourteen shades in less than two hours, according to Walter Palmer, a cosmetic dentist with River Bluff Dental in Bloomington. The take-home procedure achieves similar results, but patients apply it at home daily for thirty minutes (for two to four weeks) using a tray that is custom fit to their mouth over two dental visits.

What it costs: $350 to $500 for take-home kits. In-office treatments range from $600 to $750.

Maintenance: Teeth whitening can last for months with proper dental hygiene and moderated use (if not complete avoidance) of stain culprits such as tea, soda, cigars, and coffee. Touch-ups, which can be done at home or in short office visits, are recommended every six months.

Tooth Shaping/Recontouring
What it is: “Tooth recontouring and reshaping is a very simple, non-invasive way to perform minor aesthetic improvements to the shapes of teeth,” says Steven Gorman, who heads up the Gorman Center for Fine Dentistry in North Oaks. “It’s best used to do things like even heights on teeth, make minor crowding situations look less crowded, reshape overcontoured dentistry, or even out or soften corners on teeth with uneven wear.”

Best candidates: Those looking for an economical (and quicker) alternative to more involved aesthetic procedures, such as veneers or crowns.

What you can expect: During a single appointment, the dentist will repair the problem areas.

What it costs: Anywhere from $100 to $500 per tooth, depending on the extent of repair required.

Maintenance: “The materials can discolor with time and do wear out even with normal chewing and home care,” Palmer says. And because the effects of the procedure last only about one to four years, Palmer regards it as a less-than-ideal option by today’s standards, particularly when durable materials such as veneers and crowns can be used instead.

Veneers and Crowns
What they are: Veneers are thin pieces of durable ceramic that cover the front and sometimes side of the tooth. Crowns are caps made of either metal, resin, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or ceramic, and cover a large area of the tooth. “We use veneers a lot here, to improve the position, color, shape, and length of teeth and to do minor rotations,” says Nancy Norling, a cosmetic dentist practicing in Minneapolis. “They are custom-designed to look like beautiful, natural teeth.”

Best candidates: “Anyone who has chipped teeth, broken teeth, discolored teeth not resolved by whitening, spotted or striped teeth, crowding, mismatched existing fillings or crowns, worn teeth, unsightly teeth in any way, or anyone who just does not like his or her smile,” says Gorman.

What you can expect: Several teeth or even a full mouth can be treated in two to three visits. During the first visit, the tooth is “prepped”—reduced slightly to make room for the new material—and a temporary veneer or crown is created for the patient to use until the permanent, more durable crown can be crafted. In the second visit, the dentist applies the new crown or veneer. Some dentists are now employing a computer-aided design technology called CEREC. Using a scanned model or a photograph of the prepared tooth, CEREC creates ceramic restorations using a milling machine right in the office, thus eliminating the extra step of sending the case to the ceramist—and also allowing your dentist to finish the work in one visit.

What it costs: $900 to $2,000 per tooth. Insurance may cover all or a portion of the procedure if it is necessary to retain the health of the tooth or if it is done to replace failed dentistry. If the procedure is purely elective and for aesthetic reasons only, it is not covered by most dental plans.

Maintenance: Caring for a crown or veneer requires only basic oral hygiene—regular brushing and flossing.