frequently asked questions
crooked teeth |
Ways Crooked Teeth Impact Your Health
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PORCELAIN VENEERS |
Porcelain veneers allow for a complete smile transformation in only a few weeks time. They are a very conservative procedure, as the veneer simply covers the front and top of the tooth, making minimal tooth preparation necessary.
With veneers, we can straighten slightly crooked teeth, whiten dark or stained teeth permanently, correct peg laterals and close spaces between teeth. As opposed to orthodontic treatment, which can take months or years to achieve straight teeth, a complete veneer procedure takes only a few weeks. Also, the porcelain used is both strong and color stable and won’t yellow over time, making it durable and esthetic. View some of Dr. Brazeal’s work with porcelain veneers in the Before and After Gallery |
PORCELAIN CROWNS |
Porcelain crowns are often needed to fix a broken or damaged tooth. When a tooth breaks or has a very large existing filling with a cavity, a crown is needed to restore and protect the tooth from further fracture. Also, when a tooth has had a root canal, it is weakened and more brittle and likely to break, so a crown is needed to strengthen and protect the tooth from the forces of chewing.
A crown completely covers the top and sides of the tooth, providing both protection and support to the tooth. Porcelain comes in a variety of tooth-colored shades; Dr. Brazeal and you together will select the ideal shade for your crown. Also, porcelain crowns are not all the same material, either. Different types of porcelain are chosen for their different strengths and esthetics. For front teeth, a more esthetic porcelain is chosen to provide a more life-like crown. Unfortunately, the most esthetic crowns are not the strongest. Therefore, for molars which endure the highest forces in the mouth, often a stronger porcelain is chosen, while esthetics is not as high a priority. These molar crowns are still tooth-colored and match the adjacent teeth; however, they are also strong enough to stand up to the forces of biting for many, many years. For front teeth, we often choose IPS e.max crowns, which provide a wonderful blend of esthetics as well as excellent strength. These crowns, which contain no metal, are composed of lithium disilicate, which has the translucency of enamel with excellent strength to biting when bonded to the tooth. In fact, for some patients who have no clenching or grinding habits, these crowns can even be used on the molars. For most molar crowns, especially on patients who clench or grind their teeth, our crown of choice is an all-zirconia crown, such as BruxZir (view video). These crowns also contain no metal and have superior strength and almost unbreakable. Therefore, a BruxZir crown is an excellent combination of strength and tooth-colored esthetics to handle the forces of mastication imparted on the molars. View some of Dr. Brazeal’s work with porcelain crowns in the Before and After Gallery |