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My Blog
Posts for: April, 2014
He once lived in Australia, wore his hair in a mullet, and played guitar in a band called The Ranch. Today, country music star Keith Urban looks different than he did when he started out — and it’s not just the mullet that’s changed. As before-and-after pictures show, he’s had a smile makeover. His teeth, which were dull yellow in color, and used to have a large gap in front, are now white and shiny. The gap is still there — though it has been reduced to a more modest size. How did he manage to upgrade his image, yet keep part of his signature “look” intact?
Cosmetic dentistry has a number of ways to improve the appearance of a smile like Keith’s. One is tooth whitening. It’s a simple procedure that can be done in our office or at your home; either way, it’s an effective treatment that offers great value. In-office whitening, using the most concentrated solutions under our direct supervision, will give you the fastest results. We can also prepare a take-home kit, with custom-made trays and safe bleaching gels you can use at home. You’ll get similar results, but it will take a bit longer.
Of course, whitening isn’t permanent (though it can be repeated when necessary); not all teeth can be lightened as much as you might like; and it doesn’t correct gaps or unevenness. There’s another treatment that does, however: dental veneers. These are wafer-thin coverings made of porcelain, which are bonded to the prepared surfaces of your teeth. They are available in a number of shades — from natural to “Hollywood white” — and can even hide minor chips or spacing problems. That’s why veneers are often the treatment of choice when you’re looking for a “red carpet” smile.
Perhaps the best thing about veneers is that they give you plenty of choices when it comes to designing your smile. You can choose how white you’d like your smile to be, and even fix some “flaws” — or not! So how much you choose to close that gap in your teeth is up to you… but if you’re asking our opinion, the mullet has to go.
If you would like more information on dental veneers, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more about this topic in the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Beautiful Smiles by Design” and “Porcelain Veneers.”
There’s no question that x-ray imaging has transformed how we diagnose and treat dental problems. But traditional x-rays have at least one limitation — they are two-dimensional portraits that can only provide a portion of the information available. If you could view the interior of teeth or other mouth structures in three dimensions, you would have access to more detail about their conditions.
Computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanning has brought that third dimensional view to physicians generally and, in more recent years, to dentists. The latest development in this technology is known as Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). A CBCT emits a spiral of x-rays that form a cone-shaped beam that is caught on detectors. Using digital geometry, the CBCT then generates a three-dimensional image by precisely “layering” this large series of two-dimensional images caught by the detectors on top of each other.
CBCT is already making a significant impact in dentistry and its related specialties. Dentists now can visualize with amazingly precise detail the three-dimensional anatomy of the teeth, jaws, facial bone and other structures in the head and neck area. Orthodontists can examine the growth stages of a patient’s teeth eruption to better prepare treatment strategies. Oral surgeons can determine the precise location of impacted teeth and their exact proximity to nerves and sinuses. And, periodontists who specialize in gum disease and treatment can better determine the level of bone loss and gum attachment for more accurate diagnoses and effective treatment.
While a CBCT delivers a higher dose of x-rays than a traditional panoramic radiograph, it actually delivers a lower dosage than a digital standard 18 film full mouth series or than conventional medical CT scanners. The field of view also determines the level of x-ray exposure — the smaller the field of view (and more concentrated the x-rays) the higher the dosage and the better detail of anatomy.
The good news, though, is that a low dosage CBCT scan can still provide a level of detail that can provide dentists with a very accurate view of anatomical features, including bone density and mass, in three dimensions. That capability can vastly elevate the accuracy of diagnoses and lay the groundwork for effective dental treatment.
If you would like more information on the uses of CBCT scanning to help you maintain dental health, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “CAT Scans in Dentistry.”
