LUMINEERS

LUMINEERS ® BY CERINATE ® are porcelain veneers that offer the painless way to a permanently whiter and perfectly aligned smile. Your LUMINEERS dentist can apply these contact lens-thin "smile shapers" to teeth without any grinding or shaving, transforming teeth into a naturally beautiful smile that looks perfect for every individual. LUMINEERS can even be placed over existing crown or bridgework without having to replace them.

LUMINEERS are contact lens-thin and are placed over existing teeth without having to remove painful tooth structure (unlike traditional veneers.) LUMINEERS is the painless, permanent cosmetic solution for stained, chipped, discolored or misaligned teeth.

LUMINEERS can only be made from patented Cerinate porcelain unavailable anywhere other than the Cerinate Smile Design Studio. In just 2-3 visits to your LUMINEERS dentist, you can have a custom-made smile that is clinically proven to last over 20 years - and it is completely reversible since your natural tooth structure is still intact! Get your perfect smile today!

ZOOM WHITENING

Zoom!, as seen on ABC's Extreme Makeover, offers the best cosmetic teeth whitening available. Of all the dental whitening treatments (laser teeth whitening, whitening toothpaste, whitening strips, whitening gel and trays, and more), nothing whitens better or faster. Get an average of 8 shades whiter in just 45 minutes with Zoom!'s innovative teeth bleaching system. Zoom! has been clinically proven to be safe and effective and many dentists consider whitening the safest cosmetic dental procedure available. Almost anyone can benefit from tooth bleaching - schedule a consultation today!

PREVENTIVE CARE

Checkups, dental cleanings, x-rays, dental sealants, flouride, and the like.

COSMETIC BONDING AND VENEERS

The term "dental bonding" can refer to a number of different, yet related, dental techniques. In general, after a tooth's surface has been properly prepared, dental bonding can refer to any process where a dentist attaches white colored dental filling material to a tooth.

Dental bonding might be utilized as a way to improve the appearance of a defect found on the surface of a tooth, to replace tooth structure that has chipped or broken off, or to repair damage caused by tooth decay. This technique can also be used to resurface the entire front side of a tooth, just to improve its cosmetic appearance. The pages of our Dental Bonding topic discuss each of these types of treatments in more detail.

When compared with other cosmetic dentistry procedures dental bonding can be relatively inexpensive, and is usually a "completed in one visit" type dental procedure. One disadvantage of dental bonding is that it has a tendency to stain over time and in general isn't as lasting or durable as other cosmetic dental procedures. However, and one more point in the plus column, if dental bonding does chip or break it can usually be easily patched or repaired.

CROWNS

Crowns are a type of dental restoration which, when cemented into place, fully cup over the portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line. In comparison, fillings are dental restorations that fill in or cover over just a portion of a tooth. Since dental crowns encase the entire visible aspect of a tooth, a dental crown in effect becomes the tooth's new outer surface.

Crowns can be made out of porcelain (meaning some sort of dental ceramic), metal (a gold or other metal alloy), or a combination of both. Other terms that are used to refer to dental crowns are "dental caps" and "tooth caps."

BRIDGES

Dental bridges literally bridge the gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of two crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap – these two anchoring teeth are called abutment teeth – and a false tooth/teeth in between. These false teeth are called pontics and can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials. Dental bridges are supported by natural teeth or implants.

DENTURES AND PARTIALS

Complete dentures are used to replace teeth when there are no teeth remaining. The teeth are prefabricated acrylic which come in many sizes, shapes, and shades. They are processed into a custom made acrylic base which is made to intimately and comfortably fit the gum tissue in your mouth.

A partial denture is a removable appliance that replaces missing teeth. It is held in place by your existing teeth. It is important that these teeth be healthy in order to support your partial; often they may need treatment prior to making the partial.

EXTRACTIONS

Tooth extraction is the removal of a tooth from its socket in the bone. Extraction is performed for positional, structural, or economic reasons. Teeth are often removed because they are impacted. Teeth become impacted when they are prevented from growing into their normal position in the mouth by gum tissue, bone, or other teeth. Impaction is a common reason for the extraction of wisdom teeth. Extraction is the only known method that will prevent further problems. Teeth may also be extracted to make more room in the mouth prior to straightening the remaining teeth (orthodontic treatment), or because they are so badly positioned that straightening is impossible. Extraction may be used to remove teeth that are so badly decayed or broken that they cannot be restored. In addition, patients sometimes choose extraction as a less expensive alternative to filling or placing a crown on a severely decayed tooth.

ROOT CANAL

A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp is removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.

WHITE FILLINGS

A composite resin filling (white filling) is mercury free and is made of a tooth-colored plastic mixture filled with glass particles. White fillings are used for restoring a decayed tooth and for cosmetic improvements.

DRILL-LESS DENTISTRY

Air abrasion is a drill-less technique that is being used by some dentists to remove tooth decay and for other applications. How Does Air Abrasion Work? An instrument that works like a mini sandblaster is used to spray away decay. During air abrasion, a fine stream of particles is aimed at the decayed portion of the tooth. These particles are made of silica, aluminum oxide, or a baking soda mixture and are propelled toward the tooth surface by compressed air or a gas that runs through the dental handpiece. Small particles of decay on the tooth surface are removed as the stream of particles strikes them. The particles of decay are then "suctioned" away.

LASER DENTISTRY

There are a variety of uses for lasers in the field of dentistry. Lasers can be used for cavity removal, teeth whitening and to harden bonding materials used in fillings. In addition, lasers are used in periodontal care; they remove bacteria from periodontal pockets and can be effective for reshaping the gumline.

VIZILITE CANCER SCREENING

VizilLite Plus with TBlue™ is an oral lesion identification and marking system that is used as an adjunct to the conventional head and neck examination. It is comprised of a chemiluminescent light source (ViziLite) to improve the identification of lesions and a bllue phenothiazine dye to mark those lesions identified by ViziLite. ViziLitePlus with TBlue™ is designed to be used in a patient populaion at increased risk for oral cancer.

VELSCOPE CANCER SCREENING

The VELscope Handpiece emits a safe blue light into the oral cavity, which excites the tissue from the surface of the epithelium through to the basement membrane (where premalignant changes typically start) and into the stroma beneath, causing it to fluoresce. The clinician is then able to immediately view the different fluorescence responses to help differentiate between normal and abnormal tissue. In fact, VELscope is the only non-invasive adjuntive device clinically proven to help discover occult oral disease.