Smile Makeover
San Jose, CA
Smile Makeovers provided by Dr. Shiba
in San Jose, CA at Nancy Shiba, DDS
 If you are unhappy with your smile or you teeth, you can achieve a new look with a smile makeover. Smile makeovers involve various procedures, which can be done individually or at the same time. Here are some ways that can help you make over your smile.
What Is Involved In a Smile Makeover?
Just as each smile is different, each smile makeover is individually tailored to the person who needs it. In general, there are some dental techniques that could qualify as a smile makeover.
Teeth Whitening
One of the most basic ways our dentist can give you a smile makeover is by whitening your teeth. You may think that teeth whitening is just for commercials, but if your teeth are whiter, you can look up to 10 years younger! Our dentist has several ways to whiten your teeth. They can use whitening trays in the office or give you whitening trays to take home. Also, some dentists use lasers to whiten teeth. While you can whiten your teeth a couple of shades at home, our dentist can whiten your teeth several shades right here in the office for an instantly whiter and brighter look.
Dental Bonding
Very few people have perfect smiles. You may have teeth that are not the same color as the surrounding teeth, or they may be a bit smaller than they should be. You could have gaps between your teeth as well. For example, many people get frustrated by the giant space between their two front teeth. If you have any of these issues, you will be happy to know they can all be fixed with dental bonding.
Dental bonding is quick, easy, and painless. Our dentist matches the bonding color to your tooth color. They can then apply it to your teeth and use a light to harden the bonding. Once that is complete, your teeth will be picture-perfect. You may have to replace your bonding from time to time, but it can last for years without a refresh.
Veneers
Veneers are another way to conduct a smile makeover. This procedure involves covering your teeth with a layer of porcelain to keep them shiny. Veneers are the perfect way to cover up several broken, crooked, or cracked teeth. They can also be used to help teeth that are crooked, have spaces between them, or are discolored from trauma or medication. Veneers are custom-made, and they can last for as long as two decades if you take care of them.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns have a lot of uses, but one of the best uses when it comes to smile makeovers is to cover a single tooth that is discolored, broken, chipped, or cracked. Dental crowns used to be made of gold or silver, but most people today prefer that dental crowns be tooth-colored so that no one will know you are wearing them except you.
Most dental crowns today are metal caps overlaid with porcelain to give it strength and shine, just like your regular teeth. If you need a crown, our dentist will take a model or mold of your tooth and make a crown for you. Often, you will get a temporary crown as a replacement until your permanent crown is ready. If you take good care of your crown, it can last for decades.
Other Smile Makeover Techniques
Other ways to improve your smile are less common but still worth mentioning. For example, if you have many crooked or poorly spaced teeth, you may want to opt for clear aligners to straighten your smile and space your teeth properly. Clear aligners give adults the freedom to take them out to eat, brush, and floss their teeth while straightening teeth at the same time. They are less expensive and less time-consuming than traditional braces, and they are not as noticeable.
What if your smile is more gummy than toothy? If so, dentists can remove some of your gum tissue to make your teeth look larger and more noticeable. In the past, many dentists used surgical techniques to help people with gummy smiles. They would make an incision in your gum tissue, remove a little of the tissue, and then suture your incision closed. Now, however, many dentists use lasers to remove gum tissue. Because lasers cauterize the wound, there are no stitches and very little blood, which means your healing time is reduced substantially.
If you are missing teeth, your smile makeover needs to include dental restoration techniques. Luckily, our dentist has several ways to restore your smile. People who are missing one tooth should consider getting a dental implant. Dental implants represent a fairly new technology in restorative dentistry.
With a dental implant, you not only restore your smile but also help your gums and your jaw stay healthy. Dental implants mimic your actual tooth anatomy. Instead of a tooth root that holds your tooth through the gums and down into the jawbone, your dental implant will have an implanted screw that a dentist implants into your jawbone. That implanted screw is connected to your new prosthetic tooth with an abutment. Dental implants can be used to replace one tooth you are missing, or you can have implants that replace all of your teeth.
Dental bridges can also replace missing teeth using prosthetic porcelain teeth attached to an acrylic or plastic base. Our dentist can cement your bridge into place permanently, or it can be removed daily. Bridges are only useful when you are missing a few teeth in one location or directly across from each other in your mouth.
What Should I Do Next?
If you are ready for a complete smile makeover, we would love to help. Why not give Nancy Shiba, DDS a call at and let us schedule you for a consultation appointment with our dentist? We cannot wait to hear from you! |
