Cosmetic Dental Treatments
Whether you are looking for a subtle smile enhancement or a dramatic smile makeover, there is sure to be a cosmetic dental treatment for you at our office in Arlington, Virginia. From porcelain veneers and Lumineers® to professional teeth whitening (including ZOOM! Whitening and Deep Bleaching), we provide a wide variety of cosmetic dental services to give you the beautiful smile you deserve!
Porcelain Veneers
For a dramatic smile makeover, veneers can totally change the appearance of your smile to give you the smile of your dreams! Veneers are thin, custom-made casings applied to the front side of teeth to change their shape, color, or general appearance in practically any way you desire. After consulting with you about your treatment options and showing you digital smile preview images, Dr. LaVecchia will create a model based on the smile makeover look of your choice. We will send the model to a dental technician in a lab who will then make your actual veneers with durable, tooth-colored materials that will look and feel natural in your mouth.
When veneers are applied, a small amount of tooth enamel usually needs to be removed to fit the veneers onto the teeth. For this reason, veneers are typically an irreversible treatment so it is important to be prepared for a permanent improvement in the look and feel of your smile.
Lumineers® System Veneers
Lumineers® system veneers are an alternative to traditional veneers. With Lumineers, less shaping preparation is needed to apply the veneers to teeth, so there is usually no need for shots! Lumineers are fast, too, commonly taking only a few visits. If you are ready for a smile makeover but perhaps not one quite as involved as traditional veneers, then Lumineers could be exactly what you have in mind.
Professional Teeth Whitening Options at Our Office
Professional teeth whitening and replacing amalgam (silver) fillings with tooth-colored composite fillings can also invigorate your smile. The treatment or combination of treatments you should pursue depends on the level of a smile “upgrade” you want.
Deep Bleaching™
Deep Bleaching™ is widely recognized as the most effective teeth whitening system available today. It provides a solution to unpredictable whitening results and acute tooth sensitivity, both of which are common with other bleaching systems. In addition, Deep Bleaching has been shown to whiten tetracycline-stained teeth in a short time. Tetracycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribed for use against many bacterial infections and even to treat acne. One of its side effects is that it can cause permanent stains to teeth. Since tetracycline stains are often dark and deep in teeth, they do not respond very well to most whitening techniques so porcelain veneers are many dentists’ corrective treatment of choice. Deep Bleaching offers another option to try first.
The Deep Bleaching process involves two in-office whitening sessions several days apart with custom bleaching trays worn at home (at night) between the two in-office visits. The bleaching trays fit closely at the gumline to create a seal that keeps the special bleaching gel in the tray. As you sleep wearing the trays, the bleaching goes deeper and deeper through the layers of stain (hence “deep bleaching”), which allows the final in-office whitening session to reach levels of white you probably never thought possible.
ZOOM!®
ZOOM!® is a one-hour, one-visit whitening system that is great for busy patients! A high intensity light, sometimes referred to as a laser whitening light, is used to enhance the effectiveness of the bleach. The bleaching agent used, however, is the most important element of the process.
Before the whitening, a rubber shield is placed or a special gel is applied to protect the gums. Desensitizers can be applied, as well, to minimize tooth sensitivity. We think you will be impressed by the excellent results that can be achieved by ZOOM! in only an hour!
Take Home Tray Whitening
Take-home whitening trays are custom made to fit your mouth and enable you to whiten your teeth in the convenience of your own home. The whitening gel given is made from a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide, which allows it to remain safely on your teeth longer (sometimes overnight). Take-home whitening can achieve the same stain-free look as ZOOM! whitening, it just takes a little longer.
Other Treatment Options
Tooth-Colored Composite Fillings
Composite fillings (often called composites or filled resins) are a mixture of quartz or glass filler in a resin medium that makes a tooth-colored dental filling. The material is cured with a special light and the surface is shaped and polished, so the end result is a virtually undetectable restoration that feels natural in your mouth. Composites are strong and durable. Additionally, because these fillings are bonded to teeth instead of mechanically held in place, the process is more conservative in relation to tooth structure and therefore more healthy natural tooth is able to remain. This results in smaller fillings.
Smile Evaluations & Digital Imaging
If you dream of a beautiful smile but have lived with teeth you are unhappy with for so long that you cannot visualize them looking different, we have digital imaging software that does the trick! This smile preview software shows you how fabulous your new and improved smile could look, before we even begin treatment.
During your smile evaluation, we will take some digital photographs. To show you the possibilities for your smile, Dr. LaVecchia will digitally manipulate the images to virtually conduct the treatment plan we recommend. It is quite remarkable what can be done with this imaging software. Teeth can be whitened and straightened, their shape can be changed, and missing teeth can even be filled in, all in just a few mouse clicks!
