Cosmetic Dentistry in Calgary

Teeth whitening is done in our office with modern Zoom™ technology. Whitening gel is applied to your teeth, in 3 short sessions on the same day. After the procedure, you will be sent home with more of the gel, as well as custom-made thin and flexible trays for your teeth. It’s such a simple procedure with so little chance of complication, you can listen to music to pass the time, while we perform it! Your smile will still require regular upkeep from you, with regards to good oral hygiene, but this is a great first step to brightening your smile.

Crowns (similar to caps) are a small, artificial structure fitted over your tooth. They are typically prescribed when a tooth breaks, already has a large old filling, or is severely damaged by Cavities. Crowns help strengthen the remainder of your tooth structure and usually require 2 appointments to place. The first appointment will be about fixing & shaping the tooth to allow room for the crown. The second appointment will consist of removing the temporary crown and placing the permanent one. Metal crowns are best for longevity, since they don’t chip or break, but the color generally does not match that of your natural teeth. Porcelain crowns look a lot like regular teeth. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are the common solution, stronger than porcelain alone yet natural-looking.

Bridges are a structure, built of multiple Crowns. They are used to fill in the space when there is a missing tooth, or missing teeth. When a tooth has been dislodged from its natural position, it can be anchored back in place, using multiple crowns on either side of the gap. These are not easily removed from the mouth once placed, and are intended to be permanent. Use of bridges will require special flossing techniques that our staff would be happy to demonstrate.

Veneers are very thin porcelain coverings, custom-fit to your teeth. They are designed to mask discolorations, unwanted spaces, and improper shapes of your teeth. Applying any veneer is a multi-step process that will involve 2-3 appointments. After the initial lab work is complete, a very thin layer of enamel will be removed from your teeth, which will be used to make an impression to send back to the lab. Temporary veneers will be glued onto your teeth, which you will wear for several days, to determine how you like their design and function. If an adjustment is required for these temporary veneers, an extra appointment will be required, followed by another period where you try the new ones out. Once you approve, the lab will design your final veneers. On your final appointment, they will be applied with a bonding adhesive, and polished to blend in with your other teeth.

Bonding (also called cosmetic bonding) is the application and sculpting of a tooth-colored resin to a given tooth. This is done to whiten stained teeth, close spaces in front teeth, and splint together slightly loose teeth, but only if the damage is minimal and mostly aesthetic in nature. If a tooth is missing too much healthy enamel, or if there is too large of a space to fill between your teeth, a Veneer or Crown may be recommended instead. Normally, bonding is done without “freezing” or numbing your mouth (using local anesthetic). Unlike crowns or veneers, shaping your teeth presents little to no risk of damage. Bonding can become discolored through ingestion of certain foods, liquids, and gases (i.e. smoking). However, bonding is not designed as a permanent process – whitened teeth can, after all, become discolored if you don’t take care of them.