Why You Should See an Invisalign Dentist

An experienced Invisalign dentist can transform your smile into something straight and beautiful, without anyone knowing you are having a dental procedure completed.  The best thing about this process is that your teeth can be straightened using a clear device that is unnoticeable and inconspicuous.  This is ideal for busy professionals, teens, or those concerned over how metal braces could impact their appearance.

In order to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure, schedule a dental exam and consultation.  Our team of professionals will evaluate your teeth, gums, and jaw to determine if Invisalign will accomplish the goals that you have for your smile and your dental health.  Patients that have a misaligned jaw may still need traditional metal braces in order to correct it.

The Process

An Invisalign dentist will create a treatment plan that takes you from where your teeth are today to completely straight and gorgeous, using clear aligners.  An aligner looks like a clear retainer.  It completely surrounds your teeth, and patients are typically provided one for both the upper and lower teeth.  To start, a mold will be taken of your mouth.  In the lab, aligners will be produced for your entire treatment plan.  Each aligner takes your teeth one step closer to being straight.

At home, you will switch out the aligner every couple of weeks. This will keep your teeth moving in the right direction, without requiring constant visits to the orthodontist.  Since this is done on your own time, scheduling follow up appointments becomes much easier.

The aligner is supposed to be worn for around 22 hours a day.  This leaves time to enjoy a special dinner out, brush your teeth, and eat your favorite caramel apple.  One of the benefits of Invisalign is that you have the freedom to take the aligner out, instead of being stuck with braces regardless of the occasion.  In addition, your teeth will look straighter throughout the process, helping your appearance to improve immediately.

While you are straightening your teeth, it is important to practice good oral health care at home.  Brush your teeth twice a day, use floss, and an antiseptic mouthwash to kill bacteria.  You can also brush your aligner with a soft toothbrush and toothpaste.  Visit your Invisalign dentist for regular teeth cleanings to remove any additional bacteria that may form in your mouth.  This will help to prevent cavities and gum disease while keeping your teeth healthy for the procedure.  Since the aligner is replaced every couple of weeks there is less risk of it carrying infection causing bacteria, as well.

An Invisalign dentist can do wonders for your smile and help you to look positively radiant.  As your teeth continue to straighten, you will notice changes and improvements to your appearance.  We also recommend that patients have their teeth whitened as part of their big reveal.  We offer professional teeth whitening services that can whiten your smile by up to eight shades.  Once the process is complete, you will be delighted with your bright, straight smile.

Learn About Professional Teeth Whitening Brands

If you want information on professional teeth whitening brands, we encourage you to call and schedule an appointment. Things are changing all the time with companies releasing new and improved products. Visiting our office allows us to provide you with the latest updates. Still, there are a few things you should know about whitening your teeth before you do so.

The Process

When you whiten your teeth, you can do so using an at-home whitening kit or with laser whitening. We recommend using the at-home kit. Regardless of how you whiten your teeth, the solution will typically contain some level of peroxide. The type of peroxide in the solution and its chemical makeup, in general, will influence how effective it is for whitening teeth. Most products you buy in the store will only remove the surface stains on your teeth. While they will make your teeth look better, they will not turn yellow teeth bright white. On the other hand, a professional-grade whitening solution penetrates the enamel and begins the process of oxidization. This is where the molecules inside your teeth begin to reflect less light and appear colorless. Your smile will look bright white as a result, and your teeth will no longer be yellow. This is the type of solution we use in our office.

The Application

When comparing professional teeth whitening brands, you should also consider how the solution is applied to the teeth. Some whitening kits have you brush on the solution using a pen, but the results from this are not significant because the solution will not remain on your teeth long enough. Whitening strips are a better option, but they can still slip out of place, and many people find them to be inconvenient. We recommend you use a kit that uses whitening trays. This way, a solution is placed in the trays for you to then secure around your teeth and wear for thirty minutes or so. The only challenge with this option is that if you buy a kit from the store, the trays will not be designed for your teeth, but for anyone who buys the products. This creates a risk of leakage or the trays slipping out of place. For this reason, we suggest you use professional teeth whitening brands sold by our office. We will begin by having you come in for an appointment, where we make an impression of your teeth. Using that impression, we will then create customized trays designed to fit you perfectly. As a result, the whitening solution will remain in place, not leak out, and the process will be entirely comfortable. Simultaneously, since the solution is professional-grade, you will see the best possible results.

Invisalign Dentist  >  Emergency Dentist

Cosmetic Dentist Procedures That Will Make You Smile

If you have teeth you are unhappy with, modern cosmetic dentists make it easier than ever before to attain the smile you have always wanted. If you need a self-confidence boost, want a more attractive smile, or are concerned about health risks due to crowded teeth, we can help. We provide a variety of cosmetic dentistry procedures with the ability to improve your teeth. Learn more about the services we offer and how we can give you your best smile.

Teeth Whitening:

We offer in-office and at-home whitening solutions that range in effectiveness and simplicity. We have options that can suit any budget while still providing you with whiter teeth by eliminating stains and discoloration. A simple teeth whitening cosmetic dentists can provide you with surprising results.

Dental Bonding:

If you have chipped or cracked teeth or a single discolored tooth, we can provide you with dental bonding, which covers injured teeth and imperfections with a malleable solution that is permanently hardened after being placed in the correct area. This option will quickly and easily fix small dental imperfections.

Dental Contouring:

Dental contouring can be employed to align and reshape crooked or misshapen teeth. We will gently buff areas of each tooth to create a more attractively shaped structure.
White Fillings: If you have metallic fillings and would like a tooth-colored update, we can remove your dated fillings and replace them with a more attractive option. Our white fillings will blend in with your tooth color perfectly and look natural when you smile.
Dental Veneers: Our veneers are thin, porcelain shells bonded to the fronts of your teeth. They effectively cover discolored, misshapen, and oddly spaced teeth and also improve the look of jagged or chipped teeth edges. Veneers are customized for your individual needs and attractively cover dental flaws, improving your appearance drastically.

Dental Implants:

If you have missing teeth, you should consider receiving our dental implants instead of getting traditional dentures. Dental implants last forever, look and feel more natural, and are created to match surrounding teeth. Our implants are planted into your jawbone for a permanent foundation.
Dental Bridges: If you don't want a removable dental replacement, but prefer to avoid the cost and procedure of dental implants, dental bridges are an excellent option. A fabricated tooth is held in a gap by two crowns placed over abutment teeth. This is a more permanent option than dentures and provides a natural looking replacement.

These are only a few of our most common cosmetic dentists can improve the appearance and health of your teeth. Most of our treatments are minimally invasive and do not cause discomfort during or after the process. We use appropriate anesthetics as needed to offer you the most comfortable visit possible. You will be pleased with your improved smile and quick results. Our quality materials, products, and procedures provide long-lasting and beautiful teeth resilient to staining and wear.

General Dentist  >  Smile Makeover

Get the Facts About Dental Veneers and How They Are Used

What are dental veneers?

Dental veneers are some of the most versatile tools we have when it comes to correcting defects in your teeth. Dental veneers, also known as ceramic or porcelain veneers, are extremely thin pieces of porcelain that we use to replace the damaged enamel on your teeth. The reason dental veneers are so effective is their thinness. Being paper thin, these veneers take on many of the same qualities as naturally occurring enamel. They are extremely hard, which gives you a long-term solution when your enamel has become damaged. They are also extremely brittle, just like enamel, and so you will need to protect your teeth the same way you would protect natural teeth. Being extremely malleable, veneers can be molded to fix a variety of problems with the teeth.

Do dental veneers work for everyone?

Dental veneers are an extremely versatile solution, and in most cases can be used by anyone. For us to make sure that you are an excellent candidate for dental veneers, we will schedule an initial consultation and also a first examination. During your examination, we will make sure that your mouth is in excellent condition and primed to replace your enamel with the veneers. If we find any issues that might become a problem later on in the process, we will work on solutions so that your dental veneers placement is seamless. On rare occasions, during this initial examination, we will find that there are people who cannot get dental veneers and for them we will explore other potential solutions to damaged teeth.

How are dental veneers attached?

As soon as we know that you are an excellent candidate to receive dental veneers, we can proceed to the next step. This step involves selecting the color and shade that you want for your veneers. We will have your veneers custom made to fit your needs, including the shade that you choose from.  That information will along with an impression of your teeth will be sent to a dental lab for the final veneers to be created.  In the meantime, we will prepare your tooth by removing a portion of your enamel to make sure that the veneers fit flat against the rest of your tooth. Typically this is only a few millimeters but it allows the veneer to fit flush with the tooth.  We will then place a temporary veneer on top of it.

Once we have the permanent veneers, we will fit them to your tooth. After making sure that the color is right, we will make any slight adjustments so that the veneer fits the tooth perfectly. We will also check to make sure that your bite is not affected, and once all the elements are perfectly in sync we will cement the dental veneers to your teeth.

What problems do dental veneers fix?

Dental veneers can fix a whole range of challenges. They are an extremely durable and versatile solution. We use them extensively to fix minor breaks, cracks, and chips in teeth. It is often preferable to use veneers over other procedures like dental crowns because veneers only require a small portion of your enamel to be removed. Veneers are also used for cosmetic fixes like making your teeth whiter, straightening them, and correcting minor bite and placement issues.

Sedation Dentist  >  Smile Makeover

General Dentistry Visits Are Helpful for Your Oral Health: Learn Why

Visits to our general dentistry office are the one that we often describe as routine visits. Typically these are scheduled six months apart so that we can keep a careful watch on your oral health and ensure that you do not have any unforeseen problems with your mouth. Luckily there is a growing segment of educated patients that see the importance of these visits, and we can get them scheduled easily. The question about why these visits are so important is actually an easy one to answer. Your mouth, teeth, and gums should be inspected every six months because they are the first step in your digestive process. Everything that goes in the mouth, or occurs naturally in the mouth, ultimately will end up in your digestive system and could, therefore, end up causing other health problems if an oral infection exists. Keeping your teeth and gums in perfect health is a good way to ensure that the rest of your body also has limited exposure to risks like oral infections.
 
Ironically the routine that we put you through when you come in for these visits are the very things that cause some patients to question if they really need to see their general dentist once every six months. From an outside perspective, we always seem to do the same things but there are important reasons why. First we will clean your teeth, which includes a polishing so that they are gleaming white. During the cleaning process, we will remove excess plaque from the teeth and the gums themselves. This helps to reduce the potential of erosion and decay. Next you may receive a fluoride treatment if necessary. Then the dentist will perform an oral examination. During this examination, we are looking for soft spots that may become cavities in the future and also active cavities that need to be filled. Sometimes x-rays may be in order to check on the inside of the tooth, the root, and the jawbone.

Finally, we will send you home with a brand new toothbrush and floss. Handing you, a toothbrush and floss is one of those subtle things that we do to keep your oral health in good condition. We know that most people forget to change their toothbrush once every six months, as is recommended. So when you come to our general dentistry office to get an examination we hand you a toothbrush as a reminder that the time has come to throw away the old one and replace it. We do not expect you to, necessarily, use the one we provide as long as you replace the old toothbrush at home.

Another thing we do but do not talk about, is give you a screening for oral cancer when we are examining your mouth. Oral cancer is a deadly disease that can, at times, go unnoticed. In order to combat this, we have made it a practice to examine your mouth, looking for signs of oral cancer every time you come in for a routine well visit. While your physician may be able to give you similar exam, when you visit our general dentistry office once every six months it is easier because nobody knows your teeth better than we do.

Teeth Whitening  >  Dental Restorations

An Invisalign® Dentist Makes it Easy to Straighten Teeth

For many, a trip to an Invisalign dentist is the key to having a far more full, and productive social experience. It is this quest for a better social experience that has led many adults to seek out an Invisalign® dentist. Today, 1 in every 5 patients that seek orthodontic care are adults. This is revolutionary considering that just a few short years ago, few adult would consider straightening their teeth, regardless of their need. The idea of having a mouth full of metal that is both hard to hide and restricting keeps adults away from getting their malocclusion fixed.

Today, however, we know that a smile is one of the most important, and potentially one of the most influential, expressions that we have. In a recent study, it was found that 89% of people surveyed agreed that a great smile is one of the most important factors that makes a person more attractive. In fact, 53% of people stated that the first thing they noticed about a person and used to make that first judgment about them, was their smile. This is a hugely important statistic for an adult with crooked teeth, especially when you factor in the reality that most people make their first impressions about a person within 15 seconds of meeting them. This means that how confident you are in your smile, and how willing you are to use it, could make a significant difference in how people perceive you in a first impression scenario. For many Americans, 52%, smiling would be a lot easier, and they would do more of it if they only had a better looking smile. This is where we can help.  As an Invisalign dentist, we have the skills to do so.

The first steps in working with an Invisalign dentist are going to be the most exciting. As you come in and realize that you are starting down a journey that will end with perfectly straight teeth, there is excitement and, for some, a little bit of concern. All of this is completely normal, as is the desire to ask a lot of questions. We know that patients want to learn as much as they can about Invisalign® dentistry and are happy to answer all of your questions. One of the most frequently asked questions is why Invisalign® is so popular. The answer to that lies in the fact that Invisalign® is customizable, that it is very comfortable, and that the aligners are completely clear which makes them virtually invisible.

During your initial visits, we will be taking a lot of measurements. This allows the laboratory to create a custom set of aligners that are designed to fit your mouth, and your mouth alone. These aligners change every two weeks to move the teeth gradually into a better-aligned place following a plan that we will help to create. The customization also means that the aligners are completely comfortable with over 86% of patients reporting they were absolutely used to the new aligners within a few days of receiving them. For patients, the most exciting aspect of working with an Invisalign® dentist is the fact that the aligners are virtually invisible, meaning you can wear them for the prescribed 22 hours per day without most people noticing that you have them on.

Dental Restorations  >  Teeth Whitening

Visit a Family Dentist in Franklin, TN for Help With Your Dental Anxiety

Being a family dentist in Franklin, TN places us in an extremely important position, one that is unique to family physicians, and dentists. We become your confidant and the people most likely to talk about dental issues that nobody else would necessarily be willing to do. This includes the question of fear. Fear of dentists is a phenomenon that spans the globe and can be found in every country that practices dentistry. From right here at the office of a family dentist in Franklin, TN to all around the country, there are people who are deadly afraid of going to the dentist. Even among people who do go, they have a level of anxiety before the visit. We have found that anywhere from 9 percent to 20 percent of patients experience mild to severe anxiety before a dentist visit, especially while in our waiting room. For people who do actually go to the dentist, this anxiety can be the result of many things, including a bad experience somewhere else, or because they have not been in for a while and are concerned about the state of their teeth. We are happy that you are coming in regardless of your fear because there is an entire group of Americans who will never visit a dentist office barring an emergency dental situation. For 26 percent of the country, they would rather have bad oral health and terrible teeth than ever consider visiting a dentist office. This kind of fear and anxiety is perfectly normal. It is something we deal with every day as a practicing family dentist in Franklin, TN.

How your family dentist in Franklin, TN can help you overcome your fear of dentistry

What we have discovered is that we can help you make the transition from absolute fear to a level of understanding, and thus make the visit less intense and more comfortable. To do this, you have to be willing to do three things. First, you must confront the fear that you have and identify it. Unnamed and non-specific fears tend to become exaggerated in our own minds. In order to counter this, we want to narrow down what you are afraid of. Some people are afraid of the tools we use, others are afraid that they may experience pain while still others are concerned that they cannot be in control when sitting in the chair. All of these are legitimate, and once we isolate what fear is bothering you the most, we can work around it to make you more comfortable. Second, you must be educated about the processes and work we do. When you know how much care we take, the precautions, and the skill that goes into the work, you will know that you are in good hands. Even more importantly, the more you know about something, the less likely you are to fear it. We are always here to answer questions and even show you the equipment if you need to do so to overcome some fears. The final step is to establish a routine of care. When you make a habit of coming in at least two times per year for maintenance, cleaning, and a routine examination, you build up a sense of familiarity with the dentist, the equipment, and the processes, which will help you greatly in completely overcoming your fears.

General Dentist  >  Cosmetic Dentist