Your smile should be a beautiful display of the excitement and joy in your life! If you feel self-conscious when you smile, cover your mouth when you laugh, or avoid showing your teeth when you smile, we would love to discuss how cosmetic dentistry can help you achieve the smile you have always dreamed of!
Teeth Whitening
Food and beverages can stain your teeth over time. Even healthy teeth can add years to your appearance if they are stained. Professional teeth whitening, also known as bleaching, is a simple, effective cosmetic dental treatment that can quickly remove years of stain and give you a noticeably whiter, more beautiful smile. At Ahwatukee Dental Health we offer two types of teeth whitening:
- At-home teeth whitening: For at-home bleaching, we will make custom fit bleaching trays that you will wear with the whitening gel for 1 hour a day for 1-2 weeks until your desired result is achieved. At-home bleaching works best for patients looking to gradually whiten their smile over time.
- In-office teeth whitening: In-office bleaching involves applying barrier materials to protect your gum tissue, followed by the bleaching agent, which is applied directly to your teeth. A whitening lamp is then used to activate the gel for sessions 15 minutes at a time. In-office bleaching can usually be completed in 90 minutes
Invisalign
As you grow older, you may find that your teeth aren’t as straight as they used to be. This isn’t just a problem among kids, adults may have this kind of problem as well. If you are interested in straightening your smile, but can’t bear the idea of metal braces, Invisalign may be the right fit for you. Invisalign utilizes clear, flexible plastic aligners to straighten your smile without the use of traditional braces. Each set of aligners is worn for 1-2 weeks to gradually and gently move the teeth into their desired position. There are several advantages to using Invisalign clear aligners. Clear aligners are:
- Removable so it is easier to brush and floss after meals
- Virtually invisible to those around you
- Easier to keep clean since
- More comfortable and less likely to irritate the gums and cheeks
The key to straightening your teeth with Invisalign is to wear the clear aligners around the clock. The aligners must be worn for 22 hours per day for best results. You should only remove them to eat and to clean your teeth. If you have been thinking about straightening your smile, ask Dr. Nordquist about Invisalign.
Veneers
A veneer offers a way to improve the appearance of a tooth by covering the visible front surface of one or more of your front teeth with a thin layer of porcelain. Veneers are often used to cover a tooth that is:
- stained or discolored
- worn down or chipped
- has old, large, discolored fillings
- misaligned or irregularly shaped
- has a gap from the adjacent tooth
Veneers are a thin layer of esthetic porcelain that are permanently cemented to the natural teeth underneath. Dr. Nordquist will remove 1 millimeter or less of the enamel surface to make room for the porcelain veneer. At Ahwatukee Dental Health, we can use our CEREC technology to improve the appearance of your smile with veneers in one single visit.