Innovative Cosmetic Dentistry in Seattle, WA
Artistry in dentistry is a skill that our office is passionate about. Having a healthy, bright, beautiful smile enhances our appearance and allows us to smile with confidence. A custom Smile Design plan allows you to see exactly how your teeth can look after cosmetic dentistry. A painless way to see your smile’s potential without ever being worked on. Fully participate in creating your new smile with before and after photos. And thanks to the advances in modern cosmetic dentistry, the treatments are quick, painless and surprisingly affordable.
Complimentary consultation to discuss your smile goals.
Tooth colored fillings are more aesthetically suited for use in front teeth or the more visible areas of the teeth. As with most dental restorations, composite fillings are not permanent and may someday have to be replaced. Yet they are very durable, and will last many years, giving you a long lasting, beautiful smile.
What are Composite Fillings?
A composite (tooth colored) filling is used to repair a tooth that is affected by decay, cracks, fractures, etc. The decayed or affected portion of the tooth will be removed and then filled with a composite material that matches your tooth color.
There are many types of filling materials available, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Composite fillings are the most widely used today. Because composite fillings are tooth colored, they can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth, they are conservative and are bonded directly to your own natural tooth structure.
Reasons for composite fillings:
- Chipped teeth
- Closing space between two teeth
- Cracked or broken teeth
- Decayed teeth
- Worn teeth
How are composite fillings placed?
Composite fillings are usually placed in one appointment.
While the tooth is numb, your dentist will carefully and conservatively remove the damaged part of your tooth. The space will then be thoroughly cleaned and carefully prepared before the new filling is placed. If the decay was near the nerve of the tooth, a special medication might need to be applied for added protection. The composite filling will then be precisely placed, shaped, and polished, restoring your tooth to its original shape and function.
It is normal to experience sensitivity to hot and cold when composite fillings are first placed, however this will subside over time shortly after your tooth acclimates to the new filling. It is note-worthy, the bacteria from the cavity might have damaged the nerve although the damage is not visible. Time and your symptoms will indicate if further treatment will be needed.
You will be given care instructions at the conclusion of your treatment. Good oral hygiene practices, eating habits, and regular dental visits will aid in the life of your new fillings.
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that provide a permanent base for fixed, replacement teeth. Implants fit and function like normal teeth, and are quickly becoming the new standard in tooth replacement. Dental implants involve a small titanium screw that is surgically placed into the jaw bone, acting as a replacement root for teeth.
What Are Dental Implants?
Compared to dentures, bridges and crowns, implants are a popular and effective long-term solution for people who suffer from:
- Missing teeth
- Failing teeth
- Chronic dental problems
Implants fit and function like normal teeth, and are quickly becoming the new standard in tooth replacement. Dental implants involve a small titanium screw that is surgically placed into the jaw bone, acting as a replacement root for teeth. Implants can replace single or multiple missing teeth and will eventually fuse to the bone tissue in your gums creating additional support. The use of implants creates a natural looking smile and enhance your appearance.
Patients with missing teeth can replace them with a permanent alternative to traditional dentures that looks and feels like natural teeth. Offered by our Seattle dental office, dental implants are custom fit to your mouth, and help with proper chewing and speaking. As they become permanent fixtures of your mouth, they require no additional maintenance outside of your normal dental routine.
Full Mouth Dental Implants
If you’re missing all of your teeth, an implant-supported full bridge or full dentures can replace them. These implants will replace both your lost natural teeth and some of the roots.
In addition to looking and functioning like natural teeth, implant-supported full bridges (or dentures) are designed to be long lasting. Implant-supported full bridges are more comfortable and stable than conventional dentures, allowing you to retain more natural biting and chewing abilities.
Since implant-supported full bridges and dentures will replace some of your tooth roots, your bone will be better preserved.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Implants can improve the overall look of your smile, granting you with a more polished and natural appearance. Your implants will feel just like natural teeth and involve none of the fears associated with traditional removable restorations that can slip or fall out. Implants are maintained just like your natural teeth and involve minimal downtime and pain. Dental implants also tend to last longer than alternative tooth replacement methods and are known to restore facial structure. Implants can also provide support for existing bridges or dentures.
Dental Implant Procedure
Depending on the number and type of implants, and replacement teeth you receive, the entire process can take anywhere from three to nine months to complete. By scheduling a consultation at our 32 Good Reasons dental office, we can assess your oral health for an implant procedure and make sure that your dental treatment is specific to your needs. Typically the process includes:
INITIAL CONSULTATION
The dentist will thoroughly examine your mouth, including taking X-rays, discuss the various implant options, and develop a treatment plan for your implant.
IMPLANT PLACEMENT
The next step involves the dentist placing the implant in your jawbone where your tooth is missing. Although each patient is unique, typically patients can return to work the next day and resume a fairly normal schedule. Post-implant discomfort is similar to that of any other dental surgery. You may experience some swelling, bruising, minor bleeding and/or pain. Most patients are able to manage and treat these symptoms with over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen.
HEALING
As you heal, your implant and jawbone will grow together during a process called osseointegration , forming a strong foundation for your implant. Overall, the healing process can take several months. Typically patients are on a soft food diet for the first few weeks to ensure the implant heals correctly.
ABUTMENT PLACEMENT
Once your implant is fully healed, and has fused with your jawbone, a small connector (referred to as an abutment) is placed on the implant just above the gumline. In some cases, the abutment can be placed at the same time as the implant.
ATTACHING THE CUSTOM MADE CROWN
After your gums heal, impressions of your mouth and remaining teeth will be made in order to create your custom fitted crown. Although the replacement won’t decay, it’s important to keep up with your preventive and routine care, including checkups and cleanings.
A Dental crown (or cap) is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth — to cover the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance.. A crown protects and strengthens tooth structure that cannot be restored with fillings or other types of restorations.
Why are Dental Crowns Needed?
A dental crown may be needed under the following circumstances:
- Protect a weak tooth from breaking
- Hold together parts of a cracked tooth
- Restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
- Cover and support a tooth with a large filling when a lot of tooth support isn’t left
- Hold a dental bridge in place
- Cover a dental implant
- Make a cosmetic modification
What are Dental Crowns Made From?
Crowns are made from several types of materials including metal alloys, ceramics, and porcelain. When a crown is made, the material often is colored to blend in with your natural teeth.
What’s Involved In Placing A Crown?
A crown procedure usually requires two appointments.
First appointment. Your first appointment will include taking several highly accurate molds (or impressions) that will be used to create your custom crown. A mold will also be used to create a temporary crown which will stay on your tooth for approximately two weeks until your new crown is fabricated by a dental laboratory.
While the tooth is numb, the dentist will prepare the tooth by removing any decay and shaping the surface to properly fit the crown. You may get a temporary crown while you wait for the permanent crown to be ready. While you have a temporary crown, the tooth may be sensitive to hot and cold. Avoid chewing gum and eating sticky foods during this time.
Second appointment. At your second appointment, your temporary crown will be removed, the tooth will be cleaned, and your new crown will be carefully placed. You will be given care instructions and will discuss regular dental visits to monitor your new crown.
Porcelain Crown
Although there are several types of crowns, porcelain (tooth colored crown) are the most popular, because they resemble your natural teeth. They are a metal-free dental restoration. They are highly durable and will last many years. Like all dental restorations, they may eventually need to be replaced because your natural tooth is still under the crown and needs to be kept healthy by you doing your part at home.
Missing teeth can cause various problems, from difficulty eating and speaking, to poor nutrition and even self-confidence. There are several options available for replacing lost teeth and improving your smile. One of the options is dental bridges.
Dental bridges are a prosthesis (replacement part) that relies on support from the neighboring healthy teeth surrounding the gap left by a missing tooth or teeth. The healthy adjacent teeth, called abutments, provide support on either side.
Reasons for getting a bridge:
- Fill space of missing teeth
- Maintain facial shape
- Prevent remaining teeth from drifting out of position
- Restore chewing and speaking ability
- Restore your smile
- Upgrade from a removable partial denture to a permanent dental appliance
Contact our office today to schedule an appointment to go over any questions you have for getting a bridge.
Everybody wants a bright white smile they can be confident in. While there are a variety of products and procedures available to help improve the look of yours, we provide you with a solution that is easy, permanent and safe. If you desire to make your smile pearly white, then learn more about the procedure we offer below.
Which system do you see?
32 Good Reasons use the Opalescence whitening system. Widely recognized as the most effective teeth whitening system, Opalescence delivers astonishing results.
How It Works?
First, our dental professionals will make molds of your teeth so you can have your own unique, ultra-comfortable whitening tray. Then, you will have one simple visit in our dental office where we will apply a whitening gel in several stages over the course of about an hour. This in-office procedure is best followed by wearing the whitening trays at home for two hours a day for two days following the in-office procedure.
Is teeth whitening safe?
Whitening products have been clinically studied and safely used on millions of patients without harm to teeth or gums. Teeth whitening is considered entirely safe.
Reasons for teeth whitening
- Fluorosis (excessive fluoridation during tooth development).
- Normal wear of outer tooth layer.
- Stained teeth due to medications.
- Yellow, brown stained teeth.
Veneers help give your patients the smile they’ve always dreamed of having.
Our dental lab provides custom-made veneers that can transform the shape and color of your patient’s teeth, exuding the look of vitality and confidence.
Just two appointments can change the way your patients experience life – all thanks to a thin, translucent exterior shell place atop the surface of the teeth.
Dental veneers have long been used for cosmetic purposes among people who are displeased with the natural appearance of their smiles. Our veneers can provide greater symmetry to the face, reshape a chipped tooth, and help your patients achieve a brighter, whiter smile than is possible with traditional tooth whitening.
Our veneers are unlikely to stain and are resistant to fracture. When well cared for, they tend to last for many years, and even decades before needing to be replaced.