Cosmetic Dentistry

A bright and beautiful smile can be yours with a smile makeover. A healthy and good-looking smile does wonders for confidence and self-esteem and could be just what the doctor ordered.

Dr. Frankie Neman understands the importance of a healthy and beautiful smile, and will conduct a thorough evaluation of your teeth and gums before coming up with a dental plan.

Your smile makeover plan could include dental crowns, cosmetic dental bonding, dental implants, clear braces, inlays, onlays, professional tooth whitening, or a combination of the various cosmetic dental solutions available.

Used to repair chips and cracks and to make teeth appear shorter or longer, porcelain veneers are a cosmetic dental solution that can change your whole look. Preferred porcelain veneers dentist Dr. Frankie Neman also recommends porcelain veneers for teeth that are badly stained and cannot be whitened with professional tooth whitening.

What are Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers, also called dental veneers, are thin sheets of dental grade porcelain that are matched to the rest of your smile. If you are having veneers on all of your teeth, you can choose to go lighter or darker than your natural smile. If you are only having one or two teeth veneered, Dr. Frankie Neman will match your porcelain veneers to the rest of your smile.

The Porcelain Veneers Procedure

If you and Dr. Frankie Neman agree that you and your smile are a good fit for porcelain veneers, a color is chosen for your new veneers. Once you have decided on a shade from the guide, the team will make a mold or impression of your teeth to send off to the lab for manufacturing. Because a small portion of the enamel on your teeth is removed to make for a perfect fit, dental veneers are permanent. In most cases, temporary veneers are placed while your new veneers are made.

Once your new veneers are ready, Dr. Frankie Neman and her team will check for fit and color, once satisfied with the results, your new veneer or veneers are permanently cemented to the tooth. After placement, the veneers are polished to match the rest of your smile.

How Long Do Porcelain Veneers Last?

With good oral hygiene habits, porcelain veneers can last a decade or longer. Occasionally veneers may need to be touched up if they are stained, chipped, or cracked.

If you would like more information regarding porcelain veneers, call and schedule a no obligation consultation with Dr. Frankie Neman today.

Inlays and onlays are used on teeth that don’t have enough damage for a conventional dental crown but are too far gone for a regular dental filling.

Dental inlays and onlays are made in a dental lab and bonded to the tooth. Unlike direct fillings, inlays and onlays require more than one dental visit.

Inlays fit over the cusp or points on the back teeth while an onlay covers a single or more dental cusps. Both inlays and onlays are placed the same way.

Inlay and Onlay Placement

Dr. Frankie Neman’s goal is to preserve as much of the natural tooth as possible. Unlike dental crowns, inlays and onlays won’t require as much tooth removal as they lay in or on the tooth. Inlays and onlays are also more conservative helping preserve the healthy part of the tooth.

Dr. Frankie Neman will administer a local anesthetic before removing the decay. Once the inside of the tooth is clean, an impression or mold is made. The mold is sent to a dental lab for inlay or onlay fabrication.

When your new restorations are ready, Dr. Frankie Neman will check for fit and color before cementing into place.

Are Inlays and Onlays Strong?

Both inlays and onlays are very strong and need no extra care. Of course, all restorations and natural teeth require good oral hygiene habits such as brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups.

Remember that all restorations can chip or break. Extra care should always be taken keeping anything that can break your restorations out of your mouth. In other words, no ice or pencils.

If you would like more information regarding inlays or onlays, call and schedule a consultation with Dr. Frankie Neman today.

Invisalign® straightens your smile without having to deal with conventional braces. Those wires and brackets are uncomfortable and can be embarrassing as well. Invisalign® is a tooth straightening system that uses custom-made plastic trays that gently move your teeth into the desired position.

Because the Invisalign® trays are nearly invisible, you and Dr. Frankie Neman will be the only ones who will know you are having your teeth straightened.

If Dr. Frankie Neman determines you are a good candidate for Invisalign®, a mold or impression of your mouth is made so that the Invisalign® software can do its magic. Depending on your Invisalign® blueprint you will be given between 11 and 31 sets of clear braces that you will replace every seven to fourteen days. You will wear your aligners for 22 hours a day only removing when you eat, brush, and floss. Clear braces make oral hygiene much easier than old school wire brackets. While some will see results in as little as six months, the average course of Invisalign® treatment is twelve and eighteen months.

Invisalign® invisible braces are perfect for teens and adults who don’t want to deal with the inconvenience and sometimes painful side effects of metal braces.

Dental implants are the strongest solution for missing teeth, fill gaps where the tooth was rooted, and provide an excellent alternative to dental bridges and dentures.

Dental implants look and feel like a natural tooth and unlike dentures, are permanent. Dentures can often be uncomfortable and unstable requiring special maintenance outside of daily brushing, flossing and regular cleanings.

Dental implants can last for the rest of your life as long as you practice good oral hygiene, including regular dental examinations.

If you are ready to learn more about dental implants, give us a call for a complimentary consultation to determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants.

Cosmetic dental bonding is a dental procedure that is used to fix broken smiles. With dental bonding, patients can walk into the dental office with a chipped tooth and walk out about an hour later with a grin that will turn heads.

Unlike porcelain veneers and cosmetic dental crowns, dental bonding takes a single dental appointment. Best of all, the procedure is reversible if you are considering porcelain veneers or cosmetic dental crowns in the future.

What is Cosmetic Dental Bonding?

Made from dental resin or ceramic, dental bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure that fixes chipped and cracked teeth. Dr. Frankie Neman may also recommend cosmetic dental bonding to lengthen or shorten teeth. If you have a small space between your teeth, or teeth that cannot be lightened with professional tooth whitening, cosmetic dental bonding is a good alternative.

Cosmetic dental bonding is not as strong as cosmetic dental crowns or porcelain veneers. If you are looking for a more permanent solution, either of those options may be a better fit for you and your smile.

The Cosmetic Dental Bonding Procedure

Unless you are having a tooth colored filling, dental bonding requires no anesthetic.

If you are a good candidate for bonding, Dr. Frankie Neman will choose a color from the shade guide to match the rest of the tooth. Once chosen, the tooth or teeth are etched and roughened before being coated with a conditioning liquid making for a stronger bond.

After the tooth is prepared, Dr. Frankie Neman applies the dental resin, molding and shaping it to match the shape of the tooth. After she is satisfied, the bond is cured with a laser or ultraviolet light before trimming, shaping and polishing.

Keep in mind that dental bonding is more susceptible to staining than other types of cosmetic dental procedures. Bonding is also not as strong as veneers or cosmetic dental crowns.

Just like traditional crowns, cosmetic dental crowns protect the tooth. However, cosmetic dental crowns take the procedure one-step further using tooth colored resin, ceramic and other biocompatible dental materials that are safe for teeth and gums. Unlike metal to porcelain and metal crowns, cosmetic dental crowns look very natural and are just as strong as conventional crowns.

What are Cosmetic Dental Crowns?

Manufactured from dental grade porcelain, ceramic or resin, dental crowns are matched to the rest of the tooth.

Cosmetic dental crowns may be used instead of veneers, especially if a patient is harder on teeth. Remember, cosmetic dental crowns are also used to, “Crown,” dental implants making them as strong, if not stronger than natural teeth.

Cosmetic dental crowns keep weak teeth from breaking down and are used to hold cracked teeth together. Dr. Frankie Neman also uses cosmetic dental crowns to cover severely discolored teeth and teeth that are misshapen.

Cosmetic dental crowns can be used on any tooth but require more enamel removal than porcelain veneers because cosmetic dental crowns actually cap the entire tooth. Porcelain veneers only cover the fronts of the teeth.

The Cosmetic Dental Crown Process

The first step is choosing a color for your new dental crown. Dr. Frankie Neman has a trained and experienced eye and will match your new cosmetic crowns to the rest of your smile. In fact, no one will even know that you have had cosmetic dental work done except you and Dr. Frankie Neman.

After a color is chosen, the tooth is prepared for a temporary crown by removing a portion of the tooth. Digital x-rays are also taken to ensure an accurate fit.

Because your tooth or teeth are unsightly and not very functional, Dr. Frankie Neman will make temporary crowns for you to wear while your new cosmetic dental crowns are made.

When your new dental crown or crowns are ready, the restorations are checked for color and fit before cementing into place. After placement, your crown or crowns are polished and ready to show the world.

An Experienced and Holistic Cosmetic Dentist You Can Trust

If you would like to learn more about cosmetic dental crowns, call and schedule a no obligation consultation with Dr. Frankie Neman today.