Cosmetic Dentistry

People choose cosmetic dental procedures for various reasons: to repair a defect such as a malformed bite or crooked teeth, treat an injury, or just improve their overall appearance. For these and many other reasons, cosmetic dentistry has become a vital and important part of the dental profession and one of the fastest growing areas of dentistry. For example, teeth-whitening procedures have tripled over the past five years.

Cosmetic procedures can be performed by your Lee's Summit dentist to correct misshapen, discolored, chipped teeth or replace missing teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can also be used to change the overall shape of teeth, if they're too long or too short, have gaps, or simply need to be reshaped.

Teeth Whitening

Advanced Dental Associates offers safe, effective teeth whitening treatments to help you get a brighter, whiter smile. Whitening procedures have effectively restored the smile of many people with stained, dull, or discolored teeth.

Food particles are naturally attracted to a tooth's enamel by a certain protein. Products like coffee and tea, berries and soy sauce are notorious for staining teeth. Over time, teeth actually become more absorbent and vulnerable to staining from food and other substances. The darker tissue of your teeth, the dentin, can become exposed as the outer layer of enamel is worn away by the effects of aging or things like caffeine and tobacco.

One type of stain—caused by traumatic injuries, medications and fluorosis—actually begins inside the tooth; brushing and flossing don’t help. Another type of stain—one that can be more easily attacked by brushing, flossing and rinsing—is caused by external factors such as foods.

More and more people today are choosing tooth-whitening procedures to reverse the effects of aging and abuse from food and tobacco stains.

Whitening From Your Lee's Summit Dentist vs. Over The Counter Products

Some commercially available "whitening toothpastes" can be somewhat effective at removing stains and making teeth a few shades brighter. However, many of these products have abrasive substances that can actually wear away your tooth's enamel.

Whitening agents actually change the color of your teeth, but only are effective on certain types of stains. For example, bleaching agents have a difficult time removing brownish or grayish stains. These products also are not as effective on pitted or badly discolored teeth, or on restorations such as crowns, bridges, bonding and tooth-colored fillings (porcelain veneers or dental bonding may be more appropriate in this case).

Professional teeth whitening performed by our office is considered to be the most effective and safest method; done properly, tooth whitening can last as long as five years. Over-the-counter whitening systems are somewhat effective as long as they are monitored and directions followed closely

Veneers

In a perfect world, everyone would have a smile that they are confident in. People wouldn’t have to deal with stains, damaged teeth or other problems that negatively impact their appearance. While we don’t live in a perfect world, our Lee’s Summit, MO dentists make it possible for you to still have that perfect smile (even if you weren’t born with it). If cosmetic imperfections are making your smile fall flat, then dental veneers from your Advanced Dental Associates might be the cosmetic pick-me-up you need!

Process For Getting Veneers

Dental veneers provide a simple, minimally invasive way to alter your smile for the long term. Before getting your veneers, our Lee’s Summit, MO dentist will first need to prep your teeth. Luckily, tooth preparation is pretty minimal. Even though traditional veneers are thin they would be a bit too bulky if they were immediately applied to your teeth. This is why we will need to remove a small amount of enamel from the front surface of your teeth.

Next, our Lee’s Summit dentist will take impressions so that the dental lab will have the precise measurements of your teeth to create your custom veneers. Once your veneers are ready, it’s time for your fitting! However, before the veneers are bonded to your teeth, we will make sure that you are thoroughly happy with the way they look.

Once we know you are fully satisfied, we will apply a bonding resin between the veneers and the front of your teeth and then harden the resin into place with a dental laser. A final polish will also guarantee that your new porcelain restorations really shine just like natural tooth enamel.

TMJ

No one should have to live with chronic pain, but if you suffer from TMJ disorder, pain is most likely a part of your day-to-day life. It may seem like you’ll never overcome the pain, but you can find relief with the right treatment. If you are struggling with any of the following TMJ symptoms, schedule a consultation with our dentist. We can help you find relief and restore your quality of life!

Symptoms of TMJ Disorder

• Chronic jaw pain   
• Limited jaw mobility 
• Jaw grinding, clicking, or locking 
• Pain when biting and chewing
• Jaw and neck tension
• Recurring headaches