What are porcelain veneers?

Porcelain veneers are very strong, thin shells of porcelain that bond directly to the front surfaces of the teeth. They are an ideal choice for improving your smile while making your teeth stronger. Many patients prefer veneers because they require such minimal tooth reduction compared to a crown. Placing custom veneers requires a high degree of technical skill as well as attention to cosmetic detail. We place veneers routinely, and design each case individually to match and enhance the characteristics of each patient’s smile.

Will they look like normal teeth?

When bonded to the teeth, the ultra-thin porcelain veneers are virtually undetectable and highly resistant to coffee, tea, or even cigarette stains. For strength and appearance, their resemblance to healthy, white tooth enamel is unsurpassed by other restorative options.

How durable are porcelain veneers?

With proper care, porcelain veneers will brighten your smile for well over a decade. Dr. Crane will ensure that your veneers are crafted from the highest quality porcelains and are bonded with the most advanced and proven materials available.

How are they applied?

Porcelain veneers only require two visits. At the first visit the tooth is prepared, an impression is taken and an attractive temporary veneer is placed. At the second visit, the veneer is bonded to the tooth.

How will I look and feel while wearing temporary dentistry?

Because Dr. Crane can make beautiful temporaries, your smile will look better than ever in just your temporary dentistry. Your smile will look similiar to the color, shape and design you pick for your new smile. Additionally, Dr Crane utilizes digital x-rays which deliver 90% less radiation than conventional radiographs

What are porcelain onlays?

Inlays and onlays can be made of laboratory cast porcelain or gold. These pieces are bonded to the damaged area of the tooth. An inlay, which is similar to a filling, is used inside the cusp tips of the tooth. An onlay is similar to the inlay but extends out over one or more of the cusps of the tooth to provide more strength to weakened teeth. Inlays and onlays allow for less tooth removal than a crown while providing the same strength. Traditionally, gold has been the material of choice for inlays and onlays. In recent years, however, porcelain has become increasingly popular due to its strength and color, which can match the natural color of your teeth.

How are they applied?

Inlays and onlays require only two appointments to complete the procedure. During the first visit, the filling being replaced or the damaged or decaying area of the tooth is removed, and the tooth is prepared for the inlay or onlay. To ensure proper fit and bite, an impression of the tooth is made by the dentist, and sent to a laboratory for fabrication. The dentist will then apply a temporary restoration on the tooth and schedule the next appointment.

At the second appointment, the temporary is removed by one of the best Sarasota Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Charles Crane. He will then make sure that the inlay or onlay fits correctly. The inlay or onlay will be bonded to the tooth and polished to a smooth finish.

Considerations

Traditional fillings can reduce the strength of a natural tooth by up to 50 percent. As an alternative, inlays and onlays, which are bonded directly onto the tooth using special high-strength resins, can actually increase the strength of a tooth by up to 75 percent. As a result, they can last from 10 to 30 years. In some cases, where the damage to the tooth is not extensive enough to merit an entire crown, onlays can provide a very good alternative.

What is Bonding

Bonding is an alternative to veneers, and can be used as a short term restorative procedure for teeth that are chipped, cracked, discolored or turned and twisted.

How does it Work?

Dr. Crane prepares the tooth for the procedure by lightly etching the surface and applying a bonding liquid. Once the liquid sets, a plastic resin is applied and sculpted into the desired shape. Once set, the resin is trimmed, smoothed and polished to a natural appearance.

Considerations

The bonding procedure can often be completed in a single office visit, and can improve the appearance of a tooth significantly. However, since the plastic resin used is not as strong as your natural tooth enamel, it is more likely to stain, chip or break than natural teeth. Bonding typically lasts three to five years before need of repair.

Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything and can smile with confidence, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved.

The implants are tiny titanium posts, which are placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing by an oral surgeon working closely with Dr. Crane. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. In addition, implants can help preserve facial structure, preventing the bone deterioration, which occurs when teeth are missing.

Dental implants are changing the way people live! With them, people are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, laugh and enjoy life.

If, like many others, you feel implant dentistry is the choice for you, or you would like more information about them, call our Patient Coordinator at (941) 388-4114 to set up an appointment. Your questions and concerns are important to us and our team will work with you very closely to help answer them.

We offer two methods for whitening your teeth

The fastest way is to Zoom!. Zoom! in office whitening whitens your teeth an average of eight shades in a little over an hour while you relax listening to music in our office. It is ideal for anyone who wants to immediate results. The ZOOM! Take-Home Whitening System uses a patent-pending gel to whiten your teeth even further. Individual results may vary.

The other way to whiten is with custom whitening splints that are ready for you to pick up in just two days. We provide you with a special whitening agent that you put into the clear splints. With only one hour of wear per day, our special whitening agent bubbles stains right out of your enamel in a very short time without altering tooth structure or existing dental work in any way. When your teeth reach the desired brightness, only occasional treatment is needed to maintain your new smile.

Dental whitening can be used to correct tooth discoloration. Discolorations can be caused by staining, aging, or chemical damage to teeth. Using the latest in whitening technology, we can offer a safe method for creating a beautiful “brilliant” smile. In cases of extreme tooth discoloration (such as tetracycline staining), crowns or veneers may be the only choice to achieve your dream smile.

All of your teeth play an important role in speaking, chewing and in maintaining proper alignment of other teeth. Tooth loss doesn’t necessarily have to occur as you age, but if you do lose teeth, they must be replaced to maintain proper function of your mouth. Fortunately, there are options for correcting tooth loss that also look great.

Options

A bridge — a device used to replace missing teeth — attaches artificial teeth to adjacent natural teeth, called abutment teeth. Bridges are either permanently attached (fixed bridges), or they can be removable.
Fixed bridges are applied by either placing crowns on the abutment teeth or by bonding the artificial teeth directly to the abutment teeth. Removable bridges are attached to the teeth with metal clasps or by precision attachments.

If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may be aware of their importance to your appearance and dental health. Your teeth work together for many daily functions from eating to speaking. With missing teeth, it’s difficult to do these things. Missing teeth can and should be replaced. Fixed bridges are a great way to restore your dental health and appearance.

What exactly is a bridge or fixed partial denture?

A bridge (fixed partial denture) is a device, which fills the gap where teeth are absent. Fixed bridges are bonded into place and can only be removed by a dental professional. Removable bridges, as the name implies, can be taken out and cleaned. Fixed bridges offer more stability than their removable counterparts.

Why do I need a bridge?

Oral functionality and appearance are important reasons for wearing a bridge. A bridge helps support your lips and cheeks. The loss of a back tooth may cause your mouth to sink and your face to look older.
Dental health is the other reason for a bridge. Teeth were designed to complement each other. Unusual stresses are placed on the gums and other oral tissues when teeth are missing, causing a number of potentially harmful disorders. Increased risk of gum disease has proven to be one of the worst side effects of missing teeth and can be minimized with a bridge. Missing teeth can cause speech disorders as they are used to make many of the sounds we use to speak clearly.

How is a bridge attached?

The attachment procedure usually takes two or three appointments to complete. At the first appointment Dr. Crane will prepare the teeth on either side of the gap by removing a portion of the enamel and dentin.
Since the bridge must be fabricated very precisely to ensure correct bite and to match the opposing tooth, impressions of the teeth are taken and sent to a lab where the bridge will be constructed.

Fixed bridges are typically cemented to the natural teeth next to the space left by the missing tooth. A pontic (false tooth) replaces the lost tooth. Crowns, which are cemented onto the natural teeth, provide support for the bridge.

What materials are used?

Bridges can be constructed from gold alloys, non-precious alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. Porcelain is often bonded to either precious or non-precious metal.

How do I take care of my bridge?

Brushing and flossing will keep the bridge and surrounding teeth clean. This is of critical importance as the bridge relies on the neighboring teeth for support.

Most dentistry looks like dentistry. Our goal is to provide a cosmetic dentistry that is undetectable. We replace existing crowns and fillings with restorations that look and feel like natural, beautiful teeth.

Where damage to a person’s teeth is extreme, and apparently beyond repair, we can use porcelain crowns to make the smile appear “as new”. This is an extremely reliable technique for repairing the most severe of dental problems, even permanently replacing missing teeth to offer a complete smile and a functional bite. We are renowned for the quality of our work and the fantastic changes we make for people using this technology. These treatments are used for a long lasting correction of major dental problems. It is usual for these treatments to last for 20 to 30 years, which is as close to permanent as dental treatment can be.

How long does it take?

Fitting a crown requires at least two visits to our office. Initially, we will remove decay, shape the tooth, and fit it with a temporary.

On the subsequent visit we will remove the temporary crown, and then fit and adjust the final crown. Finally, we will place the crown and you have a new beautiful looking tooth.

Key Benefits of Crowns and Bridge Dentistry

• Replaces missing teeth
• Offers support to misshapen teeth or badly broken teeth
• Looks completely natural
• Fixes “smile” and functional chewing problems.

What are the capabilities?

Crown and bridgework is a very reliable solution for major dental problems caused through accidents, diseases or wear and tear. Major problems can usually be corrected using these techniques. Material used in these repairs is either high-grade porcelain, or porcelain bonded to gold. A higher strength of the porcelain and gold materials is recommended to treat the most serious of dental problems. Where accidental damage has occurred, resulting in lost teeth, or where teeth have broken away through excessive wear, or as the result of old fillings breaking, crowns and/or bridges can be used as a long-term solution.

In front teeth, older fillings can both weaken the teeth and cause “appearance” problems due to staining or chipping. Porcelain crowns and bridges are suitable in cases where porcelain veneers are not.

Look years younger with cosmetic dentistry

Everyone knows that plastic surgery can reduce the telltale signs of aging. But radical surgery can be both painful and time consuming. These days cosmetic dentistry has revolutionized the pursuit of beauty, youth and self-esteem, as a non-invasive practical alternative to what plastic surgeons have offered for years. New cosmetic agents are at our disposal, such as Botox and non-animal-based dermal fillers.

Our office is one the pioneers of the scalpel-less facelift. We offer our patients a new option to help achieve a more youthful appearance by diminishing the appearance of wrinkles, plumping up lips and perfecting smiles thus making patients look years younger safely and efficiently without surgery. Imaging lifting years off your face. When it comes to reducing the signs of aging, esthetic dentistry should be a top consideration.
As you get older the lower portion of your face inevitably begins to shrink, with cosmetic dentistry, we are able to drastically reduce wrinkles and return an individual’s to a more youthful state though manipulation of tooth width and size. There are other health benefits as well. Teeth wear down over the years, they can be prevented from closing correctly, causing pain. Cosmetic dentistry can improve functionality and eliminate discomfort. Our patients tell us that the best part is that there’s immediate gratification and no extended recovery period. We can change many patients’ smile and image in just one visit, and their friends often can’t identify what the change is. They just know that our clients look beautiful and rejuvenated.

If you long for beautiful, straight teeth, but dread the idea of enduring years of wearing those traditional “train-track” braces, it’s time to see a Sarasota Invisalign professional.

Sarasota Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Charles Crane became a certified Invisalign provider so he could offer an alternative method of teeth alignment than proportionally reducing tooth structure by placing porcelain veneers on patients whose teeth are otherwise in great shape.

Invisalign is a teeth alignment method that involves the use of a series of clear, medical-grade plastic aligners that are practically invisible when worn. They are custom-designed for each individual patient. These aligners are changed at two-week intervals and are designed to gradually move teeth into proper alignment.

This teeth alignment method provides a great way to achieve proper alignment without everyone you come into contact with noticing your appliances as soon as they see your smile. Although the quickest, most effective results come from wearing the aligners as much as possible, they are designed to be removed for special occasions and for oral hygiene such as brushing and flossing. Because they are removable, you also can eat or drink anything you want without the fear of breaking an appliance and setting back your treatment time.

The Process

After the initial consultation, Dr. Crane will create a treatment plan for you by establishing a 3-D computerized model of your teeth. This model will show how your teeth currently appear, and how they will appear after Invisalign treatment is completed.

Patients visit Dr. Crane about every six weeks for progress checks and are given their next three sets of aligners. Invisalign wearers may experience some mild aches for a few days each time they switch out an aligner, but the achiness is far less than with traditional metal braces. The entire treatment process typically is completed in nine to 18 months.

Call us today to set up your consultation with Dr. Crane and determine whether you are a good candidate for Invisalign.