Many of the smile makeovers you see on television or in magazines are the result of porcelain veneers. These custom-made, thin strips of porcelain are adhered to the front of existing teeth to create a natural, beautiful smile. With porcelain veneers customized by your dentist, you can correct issues like crooked teeth, chipped teeth, gaps in teeth, and discolored teeth. Just a few appointments can bring you the self-confidence that comes from a brilliant smile!

You can have a bright, white smile. If you are happy with the alignment and spacing of your teeth, a tooth whitening procedure may be all that separates you from a dazzling smile. Tooth whitening is safe, effective, and long lasting.

Your custom home-whitening kit includes a special tray that is customized to fit over your teeth. You will also receive prescription whitening gel that is inserted into the tray before you wear it. The Topsfield Dental team gives you detailed instructions about how long you should wear the tray each day, and you should expect the entire home-whitening process to take between two and four weeks, leaving you with a sparkling, white smile.

You can straighten your teeth without metal braces. Invisalign® is an FDA-approved system that uses clear, removable aligners to incrementally straighten your teeth. There are no uncomfortable brackets or wires, and because you remove the aligners to eat and drink, there is no need to worry about food restrictions or problems with brushing or flossing.

Invisalign® begins with the use of 3D computer imaging to map out your entire treatment plan in advance, allowing you to see what your teeth will look like before you begin treatment. Then, using the imaging, a series of custom aligners will be created that will move your teeth incrementally. You will replace each aligner every two weeks with the next aligner in the sequence. Average treatment time from your initial teeth position to a brilliant, straight smile ranges from nine-to-15 months. The best part is that most people will never even notice you are undergoing treatment!

When you are missing a tooth, the resulting gap in your smile can create significant problems for your dental health if not properly corrected. Neighboring teeth may begin to move into the gap, resulting in discomfort, pain, and more problems down the road. Porcelain bridges literally “bridge the gap” in your smile. Your dentist creates a lifelike, functional bridge to correct your smile, to restore your bite, and to alleviate your discomfort. A porcelain bridge is created out of porcelain and uses the teeth on both sides of the gap as its supportive structure. After some preparation of the two neighboring teeth, crowns are created for them. A prosthetic tooth is fused between the crowns to fill the gap. It looks and feels completely natural!

Your teeth undergo a tremendous amount of stress during your lifetime. Teeth may show this wear in a variety of ways, including discoloration, chipping, and cracking. Crowns restore your teeth and smile to look brilliant once again. Porcelain crowns can be made out of porcelain fused to metal or out of all porcelain and can be shaded to match your existing teeth. After some tooth preparation, crowns are specifically fitted to restore functionality and to enhance the appearance of your smile. If you experience pain when chewing or temperature sensitivity, ask your dentist if crowns are right for you.

When the decay has been taken out of the tooth, it is replaced with “filling” material. In the past, amalgam (silver) fillings were placed into the cleaned-out portion of the tooth. With advancements in dentistry you can now enjoy tooth-colored fillings instead of silver fillings, resulting in a brighter, whiter smile. You may even elect to remove your old silver fillings in favor of new, undetectable tooth-colored fillings.

Bonding refers to the placement of a special, durable resin that is expertly shaped and shaded by your dentist to match your natural tooth. Bonding allows your dentist to reshape your teeth to correct chips or gaps with very little tooth preparation. If you need some minor reshaping, ask your dentist if bonding is a good option for you.

Do you see a lot of your gum tissue when you smile? If so, you may be a candidate for cosmetic contouring of your gum tissue. The team at Topsfield Dental Associates can give you a more aesthetic appearance when you smile by shaping and sculpting your gums, using a laser to minimize recovery time. This procedure can make a dramatic difference in the look of your smile, especially when combined with other cosmetic dentistry.