Instant Orthodontics

There are plenty of ways that a skilled dental care professional can make your smile look its absolute best. One particular treatment option that has proven quite versatile and effective is instant orthodontics. You may not have heard of this before, and based on the name alone you may be thinking that instant orthodontics refers to rapid orthodontic care.

The team here would like to look at instant orthodontics in brief so that we can clear up any misconceptions that you may have. When you meet with a Bossier City and Shreveport cosmetic dentist, we'll be more than happy to go over all of these issues in greater detail.

What is instant orthodontics?

Contrary to the name, instant orthodontics is not an orthodontic treatment. It actually refers to a cosmetic dentistry treatment option called porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers have also been called dental veneers in some practices. They are thin shells of specially crafted dental ceramic that are affixed to the frontal portions of a patient's teeth to restore or improve their appearance.

Our Shreveport and Bossier City dental care specialists like to use porcelain veneers since they have proven so effective and so crucial to enhancing the appearance of smiles.

Why are porcelain veneers called instant orthodontics?

In just a single visit or two visits, porcelain veneers can achieve results that are comparable to orthodontic treatment. That's much faster than the months required for most types of orthodontia.

Dental Problems That Porcelain Veneers Can Address

The following aesthetic issues can be treated using Shreveport porcelain veneers:

• Chipped teeth
• Cracked teeth
• Severely stained teeth
• Crooked teeth
• Uneven teeth
• Minor tooth gaps/spacing issues

Best Candidates for Porcelain Veneers

The best candidates for porcelain veneers are people who suffer from the above dental problems but are in otherwise good dental health. Since porcelain veneers are a cosmetic dentistry procedure, more extensive restorative treatments or orthodontic treatments will need to be used for serious dental problems.

The Porcelain Veneers Procedure

The first step of the porcelain veneers procedure will involve prepping the teeth to receive the porcelain veneer. This means the removal of a very small amount of tooth material. An impression is then taken of the prepped tooth so that the porcelain veneer can be custom crafted. The veneer will also be color matched to blend seamlessly with the prepped tooth as well as the adjacent teeth.

Once the porcelain veneer has been created, the dentist makes final adjustments and checks to ensure a proper fit. The porcelain veneer will then be adhered to the tooth.

Alternative Treatments to Porcelain Veneers

In some cases a porcelain veneer may not be the best answer. As mentioned above, more serious dental health issues will require restorative or orthodontic care instead. For aesthetic issues, sometimes patients may benefit from another cosmetic treatment, such as teeth whitening or dental bonding. We will be sure to go over all possible treatments that would meet your needs during the consultation process.

Learn More About Cosmetic and Restorative Dental Care

If you would like more information about porcelain veneers and the many other options available for smile makeover therapy, be sure to contact our Shreveport and Bossier City cosmetic dentists today. Our team looks forward to helping you get the smile of your dreams as well as excellent dental health.