Individualized Smile Makeovers
Tom was told by multiple dentists that his teeth were not salvageable.
Read More
Tag: veneers
Brighten Your Smile, Brighten Your Life
I am not in the tooth mechanic business, I simply work with teeth to improve the life of my patients. This is why I call it life enhancing dentistry.
Every smile I make is as unique as the patient it is created for, designed with critical input from the patient and sculpted by hand.
The patient has control over color, shape, and overall design while I guarantee the best materials and a perfect fit. Of course I help as much as is desired, and no smile is done until the patient is happy.
My favorite part of the whole process is to see the confidence the patient gains when the smile is completed. Frequently I hear about all the positive life changes the patient has gone through with their new smile, which makes my heart smile.
For the past 20 years I have had the pleasure of brightening the lives of my patients with beautiful smiles. If you are looking to bring that sparkle back into your life, give me a call, I am here to serve and would love to show you what truly artistic dentistry can do for you.
Keep smiling,
Dr. Chris
What Should A Good Porcelain Veneer Look Like?
Porcelain Veneers are not a “one size fits all” product, but rather a piece of art. So when a patient is looking for a dentist who does “porcelain veneers” they will quickly find out that everyone does porcelain veneers.
This, obviously, brings up the question of “How do I know the dentist has the experience to deliver what I want?”
Also, “How is one porcelain veneer different from another, and why does one cost more?”
All very good questions. The simple truth is that quality comes with experience and cost. Here is why:
The dentist needs to have the cosmetic background and experience to handle a large porcelain veneer smile makeover (one of the most difficult dental procedures), plus the dentist needs to work with a talented and experienced laboratory technician who will fabricate the porcelain veneers.
I challenge you all to ask your dentist at your next crown or veneer appointment this incredibly important question: “WHO is the lab technician that will fabricate this restoration we are doing today, and can I speak to them?”
Most of the time there will be a blank stare and then a “lab name” will be thrown out. This lab may have hundreds of technicians, most learning or simply “production” oriented, not quality oriented. You need to know the person, the technician, the artist that will create your dentistry, if you want premium quality.
A good porcelain veneer is a piece of art, hand sculpted to deliver everything the patient and doctor were looking for.
A good porcelain veneer fits like a glove, enhancing the beauty of the tooth – becoming part of the tooth.
Poor porcelain veneers are bulky, square, mass produced pieces of porcelain that have given many patients smiles they are ashamed of.
A smile makeover is a big decision that is not to be taken lightly. Once you are ready to get a smile you will love that fits you and your teeth perfectly, consider getting to know not only your dentist, but your artist/technician.
Keep smiling.
Componeers – Beautiful Direct Composite Veneers At Half The Cost Of Porcelain!
A beautiful smile should not be a luxury – everyone deserves to love their smile!
Until recently, a smile makeover always consisted of porcelain veneers or crowns that are not always in the budget for most people. Plus, these porcelain restorations, while beautiful, are very hard to repair. If the porcelain veneers are not in the budget, the only other option then was a hand sculpted composite resin veneer. These literally require the dentist to be an artist, are very time-consuming and frequently do not look as good as the patient would like.
Now there is a “medium” option- Componeers. These composite resin veneers are strong, beautiful and much more cost effective than porcelain veneers. Componeers have the beauty of porcelain, the longevity of pressed composite, and most importantly, are adjustable, repairable and customizable!
So, if you want to “style your smile” but don’t want to break the bank, ask us about the new Componeers system.
You can learn more about the system here: COMPONEERS
Keep smiling.
Porcelain Veneers – How To Get Exactly What YOU Want
Porcelain Veneers are a beautiful, strong solution to getting the smile of your dreams, but ONLY if you end up with what you had imagined!
Designing a smile with porcelain veneers is the ultimate cosmetic dental procedure and requires significant planning. You would not get heart surgery from a dermatologist, right?
I have outlined a few essentials for you in this blog post to help make certain you do not end up with a mediocre smile makeover.
You have waited a long time to get the smile you want, so do it right the first time!
Step 1
Know what you want.
What type of smile do YOU find attractive? Do you like white teeth? If you do not know what you like, how is your dentist supposed to know? The worst mistake you can make is to let your dentist decide what looks good without your detailed input.
A true cosmetic dentist makes porcelain veneers that fit you and your desires. How do you do this? I have all my patients go through a large selection of smiles that I have either made or found in magazines. Then I let them look these over for a week and bring back 5 they like and 5 they do not like. This then is used in a discussion on porcelain veneers and smile makeovers in which we find out what you really like, even if you did not know it yourself.
Step 2
Always create a preview model.
What is a preview model? Well, we use all the information from step 1 to create a wax model of your smile. This is our guide and will be transferred to your teeth in acrylic so that you can preview your smile.
This preview smile then allows us to make changes directly to the composite/acrylic until you like what you see. This can take a few days or longer, but it is a critical step. You would not buy clothes until you tried them on and decided if they fit and look good right? So why would you let someone else decide what type of smile would look good on you? Porcelain veneers are permanent and define your smile!
Step 3
Approve the porcelain veneers prior to bonding them on.
I am always shocked to hear how many patients tell me that the dentist did not show them the teeth until they were permanently bonded on. What if you don’t like them? Too late, it is permanent. Always insist on seeing the final product on your teeth and approving it prior to allowing the dentist to cement it. You are the boss, you need to live with these porcelain veneers, not the dentist.
Following these simple steps will help you ensure that you get what you want. There are many more variables, of course, but you have direct control of the above steps.
Here are some more critical things to consider before getting you porcelain veneers:
1. What lab technician (not LAB) will make your porcelain veneers? You need to know that your dentist has a close relationship with the PERSON that makes the teeth, not a factory. Porcelain veneers require an artist and a highly experienced dental technician. The cost of using a master technician over a simple technician can be significant. This is why cheap veneers are not only cheap in price but also look and feel cheap.
2. What material will your dentist use for the porcelain veneers? There are many different types of porcelain that a dentist/technician can use. All have specific pluses and minuses. Choosing the best porcelain veneer for your case requires knowledge and experience from both the dentist and technician. There is no one “best” choice.
3. Experience. Porcelain veneers are the pinnacle of cosmetic dentistry. Your smile is one of the most important parts of “you”. You always put your smile out there, every single day. Everybody sees and judges your smile. Your smile helps define how you feel about yourself…I cannot over emphasize how important a smile really is. So, when it comes down to giving you the smile you desire, why would you not spend the time and money to find the best cosmetic dentist you can? Too many patients “try” their general dentist and end up with a smile they hate. Then they need to redo the smile, essentially doubling the cost of the initial investment. Do it right the first time, or don’t do it at all!
Porcelain Veneers can be incredibly beautiful and change your life in ways you cannot imagine until you actually do it. So when you are ready, do your research and get the smile you want from a top cosmetic dentist!
Smile.
Is Your Smile In A Recession? This May Be The BEST Time To See The Dentist
Does a smile make that much of a difference? Ideal Dentisty in Prospect KY is known as the cosmetic dentistry center of Louisville. Daily I discuss porcelain veneers, direct veneers, and other smile enhancing procedures with my patients. The recession has changed how we look at many purchases such as cars, houses, new clothes, etc. BUT, what about your smile?
A smile is not a “luxury”, but rather a key. A smile unlocks doors, makes you feel better about yourself, and helps you reach your full potential. I could go on and on about how a smile gets you the better job, the raise, the warning instead of a ticket…you name it, but instead I will ask you to judge for yourself.
Let’s see how YOU feel about the smiles below. ASK yourself these questions as you look at the before and after photos. Be honest with yourself.
- Which person would you date?
- Which person is more attractive?
- Which person would you hire?
- Which person looks younger?
- Which person looks healthier?
Assuming they are all the same except for their smiles…
Real or fake, it does not matter, their lives have been lifted up because of it.
In a recession you need to work harder on yourself. You need to stand out and smile. More people are competing for the same job, and more people work daily to keep their job.
Your smile is one of your best tools for success in life, and there has NEVER been a better time to get your new smile than now.
With the advent of GROUPON, specials have emerged everywhere. Dentists everywhere are looking for new patients. The recession has hit every profession.
Pick the best dentist and make them an offer they cannot refuse. Get the smile you want, now, for less than ever before. Everybody wins.
At Ideal Dentistry we have seen an INCREASE in smile makeover cases lately. Why? People are investing in themselves. They are planning ahead. They are getting incredible deals on something that will actually improve their quality of life.
If cosmetic dentistry is something you have been thinking about for a while, contact us to find out what we can do to give you that winning smile!
Smile, It’s Natural.
Porcelain Veneers Without Cutting Any Tooth Structure
Beautiful Porcelain Veneers are the key to a perfect smile, but until recently precious tooth structure had to be removed prior to placing veneers.
As modern dentistry has progressed, porcelain veneer systems such as Lumineers, Durathin, Pearls and many others were invented that are all able to create a beautiful smile without cutting teeth!
The problem now is mostly operator error – meaning, these zero tooth reduction veneer systems do not work for everyone. Case selection is critical. Using these veneer systems on the wrong case will simply make the teeth look big and bulky, and probably worse than they did before.
So how do you know if you are a candidate for these zero preparation veneers? Well, you will need an experienced cosmetic dentist that has done many of these cases, not someone who is just learning. And how do you know your dentist has the experience? Simple, ask to see actual cases, speak to patients who had the procedure done, ask about the lab technician they use – the technician, not the lab. Check for testimonials, reviews, and lastly but certainly not least, does the dentist have enthusiasm for what he/she does?
Keep Smiling.
Procelain Veneers – What are They?
Porcelain Veneers, what are they anyhow? Dentists often speak a different language. That is how we are trained in dental school. We sometimes forget that this technical jargon really means very little to our patients, so let me break it down for you.
A “veneer” is a covering over a tooth. Just like a veneer floor is a covering over a floor. It is a very generic term. Veneers can be made of of porcelain or plastic/composite. The goal of a veneer is to change the shape, color and function of the tooth.
Now, there are many brand names such as Lumineers, Da Vinci veneers, Cerinate veneers, to just name a few. They are essentially the same things, veneers.
Patients come to see me all the time wanting “veneers”. That is misleading, since nobody wants veneers, but rather a good looking smile. Veneers is just one way to get there, and not always the best. Everybody has seen some pretty bad veneers…Chiclets.
Since there is no specialty in cosmetic dentistry, dentists can not advertise that they specialize in cosmetic dentistry. We are all essentially general dentists. Some of us have continued our education in cosmetic dentistry past the normal level, such as becoming accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. This shows that the dentist has achieved a high level of competency in cosmetic dentistry and is most likely able to provide you with the smile you are looking for. This advanced training requires the understanding that veneers are just one way to achieve a better smile.
Now back to veneers.
Veneers are bonded to the tooth, permanently. Once a veneer is bonded onto a tooth you can not remove it without destroying the veneer. The veneer becomes part of the tooth. The do not “pop off” as many patients ask me. If a veneer comes off then there is a serious reason for it. It is very rare. Not everybody is a candidate for veneers, so case selection is also very important.
Porcelain veneers do not stain, but the tooth below the veneer can. This means that although the porcelain itself does not discolor, it is very thin and is affected by the tooth below it. Usually only minimal change in color is seen over time.
Composite, or plastic veneers do stain. That is the main difference between composite and porcelain.
Now, that being said, veneers are a great way to rejuvenate your smile. Designed correctly and maintained properly veneers can make a life changing difference.
Louisvilles Porcelain Veneer Expert
Porcelain veneers are the pinnacle of modern cosmetic dentistry – they can give you the smile you have always dreamt of, but it comes with a catch.
Veneers are not “one size fits all”. Beautiful, highly functional veneers are the most customizable dental procedure available, but also the most difficult. This has led to many incredible smiles, but also many more poor fitting, poor functioning “Chiclets” smiles. What a disappointment to spend all that time and money trying to get the smile of your dreams only to end up with something sub par?
Let me summarize. If your child, partner or best friend was in an accident and had a deep laceration across their face that would require many stitches and could possibly result in a permanent life altering scar, who would you seek out to work on that laceration? I bet you would want a plastic surgeon to perform this procedure, not a general doctor, right?
Veneers are the most difficult procedure in dentistry, so why have a regular dentist “try” to give you the smile of your dreams?
You only have one smile, forever. It represents who you are, how you feel, and how others feel about you. Why would you want to gamble with all that?
I have guided my career towards becoming the best cosmetic dentist I possibly could from the beginning. I knew I wanted to be a true cosmetic dentist, becoming one of the youngest, if not the youngest, accredited cosmetic dentists in the entire world. This has given me the experience over the past 10 plus years to “walk the talk”.
At Ideal Dentistry I don’t just offer lumineers, Da Vinci Veneers, Cerinate Veneers, or any of the other names out there for veneers. I offer custom veneers designed for you and your smile. Everybody has a different idea of what a beautiful smile looks like. I focus on exceeding your expectations by listening to you and sculpting the perfect smile for you, and only you, not a “generic” veneer. That is the Ideal Dentistry difference.
So, if you are looking for a beautiful smile that perfectly matches your look and personality, then Ideal Dentistry is for you.
A beautiful smile is the window to your soul. Treasure it as it reflects who you are to everybody you meet, including yourself.