Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
So you’ve decided you may like to take advantage of cosmetic dental procedures to correct imperfections in your smile. The question then becomes: Will you have time for it?
Cosmetic dental work can feel like a huge undertaking, especially for being something that is elective, and no doubt it takes time. Let’s look at some of the most common dental procedures in our Okemos cosmetic dentistry office and how much time you can expect each offered treatment to take:
Teeth whitening
By far our most common cosmetic dental procedure, teeth whitening can remove years of stains from teeth in under two hours during one visit to our cosmetic dental office.
Veneers
Porcelain veneers can serve a multitude of purposes, from covering cracked or fractured teeth to teeth that have yellowed because of thinning enamel. Veneers are wafer-thin porcelain “shells” that adhere to the surface of a tooth to cover, for instance, cracks or discolorations. Veneers usually take just 2-3 appointments with each appointment usually lasting no longer than two hours with our E. Lansing cosmetic dental team.
Crowns
Crowns also restore damaged teeth, including in the case of advanced tooth decay that threatens the tooth’s nerves. Crowns can restore teeth to their natural size, shape and appearance. Crowns typically require two appointments. During the first visit, our dental crown experts in Lansing will make impressions of the patient’s affected tooth and the area around it. Usually, the dentist will then place a temporary crown, or “cap,” on the affected tooth. A short follow-up appointment is needed to adhere the crown to the damaged tooth. This usually takes under an hour.
Restorative dental composite
Tooth decay that’s in its early stages can be corrected by composite resin, often called a cavity “filling.” This same composite resin can be used to cover or fill cracks, chips or other blemishes on the surface of teeth. Our cosmetic dentists will first clean any decay or damaged enamel from the surface of the affected tooth. Then, the composite resin is tinted to match the neighboring natural teeth, applied to the tooth, then shaped and cured to harden. The entire process usually takes less than an hour per tooth. In the case of a filling, the composite resin takes a bit longer than a metal or amalgam filling.
Teeth straightening
Teeth alignment requires either traditional metal braces or the very popular Invisalign treatment featuring clear, almost invisible, plastic aligner trays. Straightening teeth with braces usually takes 2-3 years with visits every couple months for brief adjustments. Invisalign straightens teeth in usually half that time, but the trays must be worn for 22 hours a day. Your dentist may want to schedule checkups every 4-6 weeks during treatment.
Cosmetic Dentist in East Lansing and Okemos
Other cosmetic restorations, such as dental implants, require more time and visits to our practice, but for the work completed, and the self-confidence that restorations give our patients, the time commitment is well worth it. Let’s talk about how cosmetic dentistry can benefit your smile. Schedule a consultation with us at Tenaglia Smiles today by calling (517) 940-8684.