Michigan Cosmetic Dentist – Dental Porcelain Veneers in Shelby Township, Michigan

March 3, 2010 by ·

The use of Cosmetic porcelain veneers is a very common way that many Michigan residents choose to enhance their smiles.  Porcelain veneers are thin shells of beautiful porcelain that is fabricated in a dental laboratory.  They are about the thickness of a credit card and are very fragile when handled.  When they are bonded to the natural tooth they become incredibly strong and are about as strong as your natural teeth.  Every attempt is to keep the shaping of the teeth as conservative as possible.   Lumineers are a name brand for a type of porcelain and placing them on teeth gives a natural look.

The following is an example what laminate veneers are used for:

  • Straightening crooked teeth by filling in the areas that are pushed in and in areas where the teeth are protruding slightly more tooth reduction is necessary.  The idea is to get the teeth to look uniform when looking at someone straight on or to the side.
  • Darkened teeth can be made whiter.  This is done by reducing some of the thickness of the natural tooth and thickening it up with whiter porcelain.  The same principle applies when Formica is placed over a kitchen top.  Any malformations are covered up by this thin film so no one will know the difference.
  • Missing teeth can be filled in with a fixed bridge made of the same porcelain as the veneer.  This is a very natural and conservative approach to a beautiful smile when a tooth is missing.
  • To close spaces between teeth.  This is very common and by making the tooth slightly wider the spaces can be closed up, giving a beautiful result.

Porcelain veneers last many many years, are conservative, keep the teeth the same bright white color and don’t stain like bonding.  Call Shelby Township, Michigan Cosmetic Dentist, Dr. Antolak at (586)247-3500 for a free dental consultation to see if porcelain veneers are right for you.

Filed Under: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Veneers, General Dentistry, How to choose a dentist, Porcelain veneers, Teeth Whitening, Tooth replacement Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How can I fix my crooked teeth?

July 15, 2009 by ·

Crooked teeth in the front of the mouth can be embarrassing and difficult to keep clean.   A person’s smile is the first thing noticed by others when they first meet or talk to another.

Lower teeth crowding is a normal part of late growth process of the lower jaw.  As the lower jaw grows until the 40′s the lower teeth are crowded out because they are locked in by the upper teeth overlap.  We normally see crowding of persons in their adult hood.   Many people think this is due to the wisdom teeth putting pressure on all of the teeth.  This has been dis-proven in many studies.

The upper teeth can become crowded if the teeth are too large for the size of the jawbone.  The teeth will tend to go where they are pushed on.  This pressure is usually from the lips pushing in and the tongue pushing out.  If one of these is greater than the other the teeth will be pushed out and the stronger force will win.

Crooked teeth present a number of problems:

  • Aesthetics-They look bad since the size of the teeth look altered as they are crowded into a smaller space than there is room for
  • Gum disease-Teeth that are crooked are difficult to clean and therefore periodontal disease is more likely to take place in these difficult to keep clean areas.
  • Cavities- Teeth that are crowded are difficult to keep clean and are more prone to decay.

So back the the question–How can i fix my crooked teeth in Macomb coutny-  There are a few options to consider:

  1. Braces will most conservatively straighten them up.  By applying a constant force to straighten the crooked teeth and making the teeth thinner to fit into the smaller arc.  This is accomplished by “stripping” the enamel between the teeth.
  2. Dental porcelain veneers- Are used to straighten the teeth.  The thin shells of porcelain work best on upper teeth considering that they can be made to widen the arch and giving a very attractive smile.
  3. Bonding- If the lower teeth are stained they can have composite bonding on them since this only adds to the surface of the teeth.
  4. Bleaching-This makes the teeth whiter and more attractive.

Call our Shelby dental office at (586)247-3500 for a free consultation appointment or visit our website at www.TheGentleDentist.com Our dental office is located in Shelby Township, Michigan – Macomb County.  We provide dental care to the communities of Shelby, Washington Twp., Macomb Township, Sterling Heights, Warren, Utica, Clinton Township, Rochester Hills and beyond.

Dr. Antolak excels in patient comfort and helps provide comprehensive treatment to their patients.  We provide Implant placement and restorations,  Cosmetic dentistry including bleaching, porcelain veneers and bonding and general dentistry for the family.  We are happy you have an interest in the dental practice and give us a call.

Filed Under: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Veneers, General Dentistry, Porcelain veneers, Teeth Whitening Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How much do dental veneers cost in Shelby Township Michigan?

July 7, 2009 by ·

How much do dental veneers cost in Shelby Township, Michigan?

Dental veneers are custom crafted pieces of porcelain less than 1 mm thick and are fragile as a shard of glass.  They are about the thickness of a credit card and are designed to fit the individual’s mouth, smile, tooth form and has to look both natural and very aesthetic.  What I am saying is that these aren’t just one size fits all dental veneers.  Depending on the individual’s case dental veneers cost around $900-$1000 each in the Sterling Heights, Utica, Macomb, Shelby Twp. Michigan area.

A tremendous amount of care is necessary when treatment planning out these for patients.  Factors to consider are:

  1. if the patient grinds his/her teeth
  2. if there are existing filings present in the teeth
  3. if there is bone loss and recession around the teeth
  4. The current appearance of the teeth.  Usually teeth that are darkened from tetracycline staining can be bleached first to give them a natural appearance after the veneers are done.  If veneers are placed over dark teeth without any consideration of the underlying teeth then they will be darker than the patient or doctor intended.
  5. The dental laboratory that is used. I have been using the same Michigan based laboratory for the last 21 years of my career. Over this period of time we have really honed down our communication and techniques.  By using digital photos and models we can communicate what you like and duplicate it to the new dental porcelain veneers.  Everything that is made is made in Michigan and isn’t outsource to other countries.

As a cosmetic dentist I must consider what the final outcome will look like even before I begin.  Therefore I will place temporary dental veneers made out of plastic composite teeth and make sure the patient likes the appearance, shape, length and color.   This step is not done by a lot of dentists in the Macomb and Oakland county area.  I believe the investment in a beautiful smile needs to be worthwhile one and if you aren’t completely happy with the result then what is that worth?

It is even possible to have the teeth and smile digitally altered to show you what the teeth could look like on the computer.  We have a service available to us that will take the photo we take and alter it by qualified laboratory technicians.  This is a nice way to see what you will look like in pictures.

Why not give us a call at (586) 247-3500 or visit our website at www.TheGentleDentist.com if you are located in the Shelby Township, Utica, Clinton Township, Washington Township or Macomb Township areas.

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