Caring for Porcelain Veneers

Caring for Porcelain Veneers

Dental veneers are a common and reliable solution for improving the appearance of your smile, offering an immediate transformation of the look and feel of your teeth. Custom-made for each patient’s teeth, dental veneers form a cosmetic shell that is placed over and bonded to existing teeth, thus repairing any damage from broken, chipped, severely stained or disfigured teeth. When used as part of a smile makeover, porcelain veneers can effectively improve your teeth’s: Colour  Spacing  Length Shape and proportion  Caring for Porcelain Veneers  Despite the impressive durability of porcelain veneers, and their overall resistance to stains and wear, similar to your natural teeth, they are not impervious to damage or discolouration. This makes caring for this investment in your smile a priority for those looking to have a picture-perfect smile for years to come. Below we cover some of the key things you can do to ensure your veneers continue to look as good as the day they were placed. Hard Foods & Other Objects Your teeth were meant for food and food only. This goes for porcelain veneers as well. Avoid using your teeth to open packages, pop the top on your favourite bottle of brew, or for holding objects when your hands are full. Similarly, do your best to avoid chomping down on hard foods such as hard sweets. Despite the durability of veneers, porcelain can crack, chip or break when under extreme pressure when biting down on hard objects. Stains and Wear  Although porcelain doesn’t stain, those with composite veneers need to use caution when eating stain-prone foods. This means brushing teeth after meals, rinsing...
Smile Makeover: How We Make Your Smile Look New

Smile Makeover: How We Make Your Smile Look New

Are you tired of hiding your smile and laughing behind your hand because you don’t like the way your teeth look? Do you have untreated tooth decay, yellow or crooked teeth? You deserve a happy, healthy smile!  Dental health is important not only for your physical health but also for your mental health. A beautiful smile gives you self-confidence and improved well being and that helps you get ahead in business and life.  A smile makeover may sound too good to be true but we can make your smile look brand new. What is a smile makeover? Keep reading for more information.  Cosmetic Dentistry  A smile makeover includes cosmetic dentistry that makes your teeth and smile look great. It’s important to know what you do and don’t like about your own smile.  Some people want perfectly straight teeth with no gaps, no yellowing, and no imperfections. Others prefer a more natural look and don’t mind a little yellowing or a gap or two between their teeth.  Do your own smile evaluation noting what you like and don’t like about your smile. When you come in for your first evaluation, let the dentist know what type of smile you like best. Feel free to bring photos of smiles you love to show the doctor.  It All Starts With a Comprehensive Examination When you visit Dr. Vicky’s Smile Design Studio, you’ll first have a comprehensive examination. It’s important for the doctor to know the condition of your mouth and teeth. If there are any underlying conditions affecting your oral health, the doctor treats those first.  Many people have untreated tooth decay from childhood that affects...
Questions to Ask Your Cosmetic Dentist About a Smile Makeover

Questions to Ask Your Cosmetic Dentist About a Smile Makeover

A Picture Perfect Smile is Just a Few Procedures Away Have you decided to take the leap and get the smile you’ve always wanted? A smile makeover is the perfect way to reclaim not only your dental health, but get the smile you deserve. In cosmetic dentistry, a smile makeover often combines one or more cosmetic dental procedures, designed to help you achieve your goals. But before you dive in, there are some key questions you need to ask your cosmetic dentist. Smile Makeover Questions You Need to Be Asking What Are Your Qualifications? You want to make sure your cosmetic dentist has experience with the types of procedures they are recommending. It is not uncommon for cosmetic dentists to have a portfolio of ‘before and after’ results so you can see what kind of results they have achieved for other patients. What Types of Procedures Do You Recommend and Why? This is a critical question. Although your cosmetic dentist will undoubtedly offer advice on which procedures might be the most appropriate for your budget, goals and timeline, it is important that you know WHY they recommend these. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions and to make your dentist justify why one procedure may be better than the other to help you achieve the results you desire. Are There Any Alternatives? The field of cosmetic dentistry is an ever-evolving one, with new and innovative solutions frequently hitting the market. It never hurts to ask your cosmetic dentist if there are any alternatives to the treatments they recommend. Costs and Paying for the Smile Makeover Unless you happen...
How to Choose the Right Cosmetic Dentist for Your Smile Makeover

How to Choose the Right Cosmetic Dentist for Your Smile Makeover

Does the smile staring back at you in the mirror make you want to frown? Fact is, most of us will deal with discolouration, misaligned, decayed, damaged or missing teeth at some point in our lives. Whether stemming from health conditions or simply a part of the natural ageing process, a cosmetic dentist can help give you the smile makeover you deserve. Each year millions of individuals undergo smile makeover treatments both in Australia and around the world, but choosing the right cosmetic dentist is just as important as the decision to get a smile makeover in the first place. In this guide, we’ll help walk you through the steps you can take to make sure you choose the right cosmetic dentist for the job. Choosing wrong could result in painful or uncomfortable complications, and the need for further dental work down the road…no one wants that. Why a Smile Makeover is So Impactful, and Why Choosing the Right Dentist Matters A smile makeover has quickly risen to become one of the most popular cosmetic dental services across Australia. For those with broken, damaged or failing teeth, this procedure can reliably restore the look, form and function of your pearly whites. Those who have the procedure note a marked increase in self-confidence, and are left with a smile they can’t wait to show off. As life-changing as a smile makeover can be, choosing the wrong dentist can leave patients with regret. Due to the complexity of such procedures, and the interdisciplinary nature of the techniques and treatments involved, it’s critically important that you choose a dentist who has the...
Porcelain Veneers vs. Composite Veneers?

Porcelain Veneers vs. Composite Veneers?

Whether you are looking for a total smile makeover or just to have a few visual changes to your teeth, today’s dental veneers are a popular and proven option. There are two types of dental veneers used across Australian dental clinics: porcelain and composite resin. Which one is right for you comes down to multiple factors, which we’ll discuss below. Whenever you’re ready to get started, our friendly staff are available to schedule your free smile assessment with our Perth cosmetic dentist. The Difference Between Porcelain and Composite Veneers Porcelain veneers are custom made thin shells of porcelain which are fixed to the outer-surface of a tooth. Composite veneers are engineered usually in the dentist’s office of white resin material which is applied and shaped to the outer surface of the tooth. Both are made to match your tooth’s natural colour, or even to whiten your smile. The main difference is the material used and where it’s manufactured. To the untrained eye, they both look very similar. Time Composite resin veneers are done at our dental clinic in a single appointment, so it’s much quicker than getting porcelain veneers. In the hands of Perth’s experienced cosmetic dentist – Dr Vicky Ho – the resin will be colour matched to the shade of your surrounding teeth for the most natural look. If you are looking for a whiter look, Dr Ho will select a whiter color to get the desired effect. Once the resin is added to your teeth, cured and then polished, you’ll walk out with a fab new smile! Porcelain veneers typically take at least two visits because...
The Benefits of a Smile Makeover – What You Need to Know in 2021

The Benefits of a Smile Makeover – What You Need to Know in 2021

When you have a great smile, people generally feel more confident and more attractive. However, people are rarely born with a “perfect smile”. Genetics, life and even trauma can do a number on your teeth’s appearance. Most of our patients here at Smile Design Studio ask about improving their smile – even if it’s just a session of professional teeth whitening treatment. Sometimes a crown or veneer can correct a minor cosmetic concern, and the patient is very happy. In other cases, a lot of work may be needed, so we’ll use a combination of treatments for a complete smile makeover, customised for your individual smile. A smile makeover dramatically transforms and improves the look of your smile as well as correcting issues that could impact your oral health and bite. For the best results, we design a customised and comprehensive plan of care to help you reach your goals so you’ll end up with a smile you’ll love!. What’s Involved? A smile makeover begins with an in-depth free smile assessment, where we evaluate your entire mouth, including teeth, gums, bite mechanics, jaw bone and general oral health. We’ll ask you about your concerns and how you’d like your teeth to look. You can check out our gallery of before and after smile makeovers to get an idea of what’s possible. The possibilities are endless! The next step is where Dr Vicky will go over the various treatment options and create a customised plan that will address all your needs. If there are pre-existing dental issues, we’ll need to address those first in order to give the best final...