Cosmetic Dental Procedures

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Who doesn't want a perfect smile?

While few people have one naturally, almost anyone can get one with the help of Dr. Ganzkow.

Thanks to advancements in modern cosmetic dental care, you can have a beautiful smile easier than ever before. Dr. Ganzkow can perform procedures such as teeth whitening, veneers, natural tooth colored fillings, and dental implants in order to give you the smile you have always dreamed of! Recent advances in dental materials and techniques offer near-perfect teeth that are almost as strong as the originals. Please call our office to schedule a consultation to learn more about any of these or other procedures.

Things we can do to improve your smile include:

	Bleaching to make teeth whiter
	Repairing chips or rough spots with fillings that match your teeth
	Replace old fillings that may be cracked, discolored or failing.
	Filling cavities with tooth-colored materials
	Reshaping teeth that don't match the others
	Crowns
	Closing gaps between teeth
	Covering broken teeth with porcelain/gold crowns
	Orthodontia treatment using braces or Invisalign
	Implants
	Complete and Partial Dentures

Teeth Whitening/Bleaching: Teeth whitening is performed for patients who desire a brighter smile. Tooth whitening can be performed to reduce discoloration and staining, or simply to provide the patient with whiter, brighter teeth.

Replace Old Fillings: Dental fillings, like many things, most likely they will not last for the rest of your life and will need to be replaced. If any or all of the following conditions are present, then it is time to remove the filling:

	gaps between the filling and the tooth
	decay under the filling seen on an x-ray
	a crack, or cracks in the filling material
	discoloration of the tooth which may be a sign of decay
	a crack, or cracks in the tooth
	fracture of the filling
	excessive wear of the filling

Tooth reshaping, or contouring

One of few instant treatments now available in cosmetic dentistry. Dental reshaping and contouring is a procedure to correct crooked teeth, chipped teeth, cracked teeth or even overlapping teeth in just one session.

Crowns

Teeth take a beating and you don't even realize that it's happening. They are subjected to tremendous amounts of biting pressure, very hot things, very cold things, highly acidic food, lots of sugar, bacteria and tooth decay. Who doesn't occasionally grind their teeth? It’s a wonder teeth hold up as well as they do with what we put them thru on a day to day basis.

Sometimes, however, teeth need help. If a tooth is damaged badly enough, the best treatment is to make a new porcelain top for the tooth--these restorations are called dental crowns. A crown is usually made of tooth colored porcelain, though they can be made of silver or gold metals. It is custom made for your tooth in a dental laboratory. Once it is placed on your tooth, you have a tooth that is nearly as strong as a new tooth.

Why are they done? Patients frequently have very large old fillings in their teeth that wear out and need replacement. Replacing a very small old filling with a new one is pretty straight forward. Replacing a very large old filling is not as simple. Just placing a newer (and larger) very large filling in the tooth isn’t the answer. Doing so can lead to broken teeth, pain, more drilling, root canals, extractions and a lot of unpleasant things that can sometimes be avoided by doing a crown before conditions worsen.

Filling materials were designed to patch small holes in teeth. They weren’t designed to rebuild the whole top of a tooth—they just aren’t strong enough. Dental crowns are made of high strength ceramic material or gold and are much stronger and more durable than filling materials. They are ideal for rebuilding teeth and are generally the most durable and effective way to fix a compromised tooth. With the advanced materials we have today, they can be made to look extremely natural and beautiful.

Orthodontia (Braces) Treatment

A few people have naturally straight teeth that fit together perfectly. For everyone else, there is orthodontic care. Orthodontia is the branch of dentistry that deals with abnormalities of the teeth and face. Straight permanent teeth can help prevent tooth problems later on.

Orthodontic care involves the use of devices, such as braces and Invisalign, to

	Straighten teeth
	Correct problems with bite
	Close gaps between teeth
	Align lips and teeth properly

Implants

An implant is, essentially, a man-made tooth root. It is placed into the jawbone to replace the root of the tooth that was lost. After it heals into the bone, a porcelain top called a crown can be attached to it, or it can be used to anchor a denture. The new "tooth" will look good, work well and last a long time.

Complete & Removable Partial Dentures

Removable partial dentures are for patients who are missing some of their teeth on a particular arch. Fixed partial dentures, better known as "crown and bridge", are made from crowns that are fitted on the remaining teeth to act as abutments and pontics made from materials to resemble the missing teeth. Fixed bridges are more expensive than removable appliances but are more stable. Complete dentures or full dentures are worn by patients who are missing all their teeth in an arch (i.e the maxillary(upper) or mandibular(lower) arch).

Missing Tooth	Maryland Bridge

Partial Denture	Bridge

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