Best Dental Treatments to Whiten and Straighten Teeth

With over 30 years of experience, our cosmetic dentist, Dr. Eric Spellman, has the knowledge to advise Larchmont patients on the best treatments to whiten and straighten teeth. When it comes to getting whiter and straighter teeth, there are many cosmetic dentistry treatments available. The right dental treatment for you, will depend on your dental goals, how quickly you want the process to take, and the current condition of your dental health.

Traditional orthodontics along with professional teeth whitening can help you achieve whiter and straighter teeth. However, this treatment plan will take some time to complete. On the other hand, cosmetic dentistry treatments, like porcelain veneers and cosmetic bonding, can provide you with instantly whiter and straighter teeth, but they can also have certain drawbacks.

Cosmetic Dentistry vs Orthodontics

If you’re trying to attain a perfect smile with aligned, white, and healthy teeth, orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry share similar goals. Orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry are both branches of dentistry that specialize in correcting imperfections in the smile to help patients achieve their smile goals.

Orthodontics

Orthodontics focuses on fixing misalignments in the teeth and jaws. Besides affecting the way your smile looks, misalignments can also cause facial pain, TMJ, speech impediments, headaches, and even throat and sinus disorders. Most orthodontic treatments can take months to years to complete, depending on your dental health condition and whether you choose clear aligners, like Invisalign, or traditional braces. While orthodontic treatments aren’t a quick solution to a crooked smile, they do offer long-term benefits, like preserving your natural teeth. Orthodontic treatments are a good solution for patients with healthy enamel, suffering from overcrowding, gapped teeth, or bite disorders.

Teeth Whitening After Orthodontics

Professional teeth whitening treatments can help you achieve a whiter, more healthy-looking smile after your orthodontic treatment. However, most patients can benefit from teeth whitening – especially patients who consume a lot of staining substances, like coffee, tea, cola, or tobacco. While orthodontics require patience for straighter teeth, teeth whitening can help you achieve whiter teeth in as little as one appointment for a smile transformation.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are the quickest way to get straight, white teeth. Veneers are a thin layer of porcelain that are custom-created to fit the shape of your smile, while taking the place of the natural tooth enamel. Porcelain veneers are a great cosmetic solution for patients already suffering from enamel erosion, chipped, or cracked teeth. They can be created in any shade the patient wants, and remain stain resistant afterwards. The one drawback for porcelain veneers is that the natural enamel of the tooth will need to be sanded down for the veneer to fit over the tooth, meaning that once a patient gets veneers, they will need to maintain this cosmetic treatment the rest of their life.

Tooth Reshaping and Bonding

Tooth reshaping and dental bonding is an easy way to straighten out small, misshapen teeth at a cheaper price point than porcelain veneers. Teeth reshaping is the most convenient and quickest option for fixing discolored or poorly aligned teeth. During the tooth reshaping process, we will gently remove enamel to improve uneven areas and bite alignment. Once the teeth are shaped down, we will use a composite bonding to fill in chips and gaps, strengthen the enamel, and improve the color of the teeth. If your teeth are already white, we will match the resin to your natural teeth.

After reshaping and tooth bonding your teeth, you will need to make sure you maintain your dental health to keep your smile attractive and healthy-looking. Like most dental restorations, bonded teeth are susceptible to chips and stains. Therefore, you should avoid chewing on hard foods, opening things with your teeth, chewing on fingernails, pens, ice, or other hard materials that could chip your teeth. You can also keep your teeth from staining by avoiding smoke, coffee, tea, and other staining foods.

There are many dental treatments that can help you get a straighter and whiter smile. Want to learn more about your orthodontic and cosmetic dental options? Call our office today.