Sedation Dentistry, Invisalign, Technology

Cosmetic Dentistry.  What do these two words do for you?  For me, they invoke that Hollywood smile.  And I guess we have to thank (or not) those folks in Los Angeles for their total devotion to the perfect, white smile that we have been use to seeing.  When I consult for Smile Design, shade comes up every time, of course.   White, White, Super White.  Patients require, yes I mean require, the whitest teeth that can be made.  I heard there is a 'Friends' episode that has one of the actors lighting a room with his newly bleached teeth.  That says something. No?

We much further can we go?  The glow-in-the-dark smile?  I do understand that this is the way things have been going.  It is just- how far are we going to go? 

Very often patients believe that all they need is whiter teeth when in actuality the whitening may not give them what they want.  A better smile is comprised of such things as tooth position, tooth shape and tooth length.  Invisalign may be necessary.  Porcelain Veneers may be needed to reshape the teeth.  The gums of the front teeth may need to be reshaped with a laser.  There is a great deal more to cosmetic dentistry than simply whitening the teeth.

:)