Cosmetic Dentistry Services
Whitening
You may become fatigued in trying to research all of the different options for whitening your teeth. Here are some basic guidelines to follow when considering whitening. First, consult your dentist before you whiten. Sometimes disease or decay causes teeth to darken. If you whiten your teeth without first visiting your dentist, you may mask the disease of decay. This will allow the problem to worsen and may result in the need for more extensive and expensive treatment, or even worse, the loss of your tooth or teeth.
Your dentist should have several options for whitening. These options typically include an in-office procedure or a custom tray system. Different variables including beginning shade of teeth, level of sensitivity, and your overall goals for your smile should be discussed before selecting the best whitening system for you.
Dr. Rice offers an array of whitening procedures and will customize a whitening treatment for you based on your individual needs and desires. Dr. Rice stays current with advancements in whitening methods and overall dental technology. Call now to learn more about how you can have a whiter smile.
All Porcelain Crowns
More and more patients are choosing highly aesthetic porcelain and metal-free restorations and enjoying the benefits of enhanced dental health and higher self esteem. With an all porcelain crown, you don’t ever see any metal. It provides a beautiful and natural looking restoration. Some patients choose a Zirconia, white metal core, crown that provides enhanced strength for crowns on back teeth.
Veneers, Durathins and Lumineers
One of the most successful treatments available in dentistry, porcelain veneers, are very thin laminates of porcelain that are bonded to the tooth structure and are extremely strong. Dr. Rice works with talented master ceramists around the country who fabricate our porcelain restorations.
Lumineers and Durathins are the no shot, no drill way to change the color and shape of your teeth. This contact lens thin porcelain is bonded directly over your existing natural tooth. Preference is given to these systems that allow smile design with minimal to no loss of tooth structure, to preserve the patient’s natural tooth. Dr. Rice has received expanded training in the preparation and placement of Lumineers and Durathin Veneers, as well as other pressed porcelain systems.
We work with our patients’ individual needs and goals, and together we create beautiful, natural looking teeth. Our patients leave our office with the beautiful smile they have always wanted.
Call 615-373-4488 to make an appointment to see if you are a candidate for porcelain veneers.
Direct Bonding
Direct bonding is a conservative, one-visit procedure requiring the artistic talents of Dr. Rice. Direct bonding requires little to no tooth reduction, and is a procedure in which a composite (tooth colored) material is placed over your tooth to improve its appearance. We may use direct bonding to brighten a dark tooth, build back a chipped or broken tooth, fill in a gap between two teeth, or as a filling. This procedure may be used in many of the same cases as porcelain veneers. While the cost/investment may be less than porcelain veneers, direct bonding typically does not last as long as veneers. Some of our patients desire more dramatic alterations to their teeth, in which cases porcelain veneers may be a better choice of restoration. Dr. Rice will discuss each option available to you, and together you decide what is best for your smile.
Tooth Colored Fillings
We recognize that many people have silver (amalgam) fillings that are still well sealed and don’t need replacing. However, when a filling fails and no longer provides a good seal against bacterial leakage, we replace it with a tooth colored filling. The tooth colored filling bonds directly to the tooth, providing a strong and stable restoration. Many patients find that the blending in of the tooth colored filling in their mouth is not only a quality alternative to an amalgam, but also provides them with a more confident, whiter smile.
