What do you notice first? Their eyes: Their hair: Their smile? When meeting someone new, a nice smile is always toward the top of the list of things that get noticed. But what do you do if you weren’t born with the smile that compliments the rest of you?
Each day, patients go to their dentist wanting to change their smile but are anxious about the appearance of the result. To help the patient visualize what their new smile may look like, the dentist can take digital photos and make the changes using software. The patient can then review the changes along with the dentist and make suggestions: longer, whiter, bigger, etc. The dentist then determines what procedures need to be performed in order to reach that goal.
Bleaching, bonding, veneers and crowns are just some of the tools a cosmetic dentist has at his disposal for changing the appearance of teeth. How does he create in the mouth what has been created on a computer? Plaster models of the patient’s existing teeth are sent to the dental laboratory along with the before pictures and the “ideal” after pictures. The technician then works on creating temporary veneers, crowns or bridges that duplicate what he sees. They are sent back to the dentist and he places them into the patient’s mouth. The change is instant and the best part is that now the patient can live with their new look before the final crowns or veneers are made. If the patient desires any changes, the dentist can easily make them because the temporary restorations are made of acrylic. Once the patient approves the final appearance, the dentist makes new molds and the laboratory can produce the final porcelain restorations to match the approved temporaries. The guess work is eliminated. The patient has no surprises when the new teeth go in because they have already lived with them for weeks.
If you are not pleased with what you see when you smile, you owe it to yourself to visit the dentist and ask for an cosmetic consultation. Visualizing the possibilities can certainly make a world of difference when considering cosmetic dentistry.
For an cosmetic consultation with Dr. Gavrilos, call our office in Barrington at 847-381-4040