In our last blog, we talked about professional teeth-whitening services available to our patients. This is a great option for people with extrinsic stains on their pearly whites. However, if you have deeper discoloration or other blemishes, teeth whitening will not be able to improve these problems. Sunny Smiles in El Paso, TX, offers other cosmetic treatments to enhance the look of your grin. One of these methods is bonding and contouring.
What Whitening Cannot Fix
Professional whitening is a great option for patients with surface-level stains. This happens from external factors such as frequently drinking coffee, tea, soda, and other dark-colored beverages, using tobacco, and eating foods with dark pigmentation. Whitening works by applying dental-safe bleach to break up these stains. Unfortunately, for patients with intrinsic discoloration, this bleaching agent cannot reach beyond the enamel. This means that if your teeth appear less vibrant due to aging, overuse of fluoride, or other problems, professional whitening will not work.
How Bonding And Contouring Helps
Bonding and contouring are two techniques often paired together that can improve the look of blemishes on your pearly whites. The first step involves adding composite resin material to specific areas of your tooth. This material is made to match the color of your smile, so it will be a natural-appearing enhancement. Bonding is great for patients who have minor cracks, chips, or flaws.
Contouring is a technique that can reshape your teeth. If you have pointy canines, jagged teeth, or uneven sizing, this can help. Your dentist will use a small drill to minimally shave down your tooth. You feel some sensitivity during the process, but you should not need anesthesia or any other form of numbing.
This cosmetic option has several benefits. Aside from improving the look of your smile, this is also a fairly conservative treatment. Instead of the irreversible changes that must be performed for veneers, this process is minimally invasive. Contouring cannot be reversed, but it will not be a drastic reshape. Both of these treatments can be performed in a single appointment, leaving you with an improved smile faster.
Options For A Damaged Tooth
Bonding should only be performed on minimal, cosmetic cracks and chips. If you have a damaged or broken tooth, restorative treatment will be needed instead. In many cases, a crown is used for tooth damage. It is important to not ignore a fractured pearly white, as the damage can spread and lead to an infection if not treated in time. Alternatively, the tooth could be extracted and replaced with a prosthetic depending on the severity of the fracture.
Schedule This Cosmetic Treatment Today
To schedule cosmetic dental services or another appointment, call Sunny Smiles in El Paso, TX, today at 915.759.7000.