Whether you need major dental repair or want a subtle change, a Santa Barbara dentist can perform procedures that will improve your smile. There are many options and techniques to treat missing, misshapen, chipped, or discolored teeth. The dentist can alter the length of teeth, restore short or worn teeth, close spaces, or reshape teeth. Common procedures include contouring, reshaping, veneers, bonding, and bleaching. Cosmetic dentistry in Santa Barbara not only improves the smile, but many treatments also improve oral problems such as under- or overbite.
Bleaching
A popular and common chemical process of bleaching is used to make teeth whiter. Some people request a lighter shade of teeth. Others want stains to disappear. Cigarettes, tea, coffee, and medications can cause discoloration of the enamel. Getting older or hereditary traits can also cause discoloration.
The Santa Barbara dentist performs bleaching in the office or supervises an at home process. Many patients prefer the convenience of at-home bleaching. The dentist creates a mouthpiece that ensures the correct whitening solution amount is used, and teeth are exposed properly. At home whitening requires a period of two to four weeks. The desired shade determines the duration of the process. Whitening in an office calls for one or more visits that last 45 minutes to an hour.
Cosmetic dentistry in Santa Barbara offers bonding. Bonding uses a tooth-colored material to change tooth color or fill in gaps. Only one visit is required when the Santa Barbara dentist performs a bonding procedure. The bonding lasts for several years. Bonded composite resins may be the material used in cosmetic dentistry in Santa Barbara when teeth are slightly decayed or chipped. A tooth-colored filling can be bonded to small cavities. Cosmetic dentistry in Santa Barbara is also used to shape and color the outside tooth surface or close a gap between teeth.