Cheaper Alternatives For a Hollywood Smile

Everyone wants a million dollar smile but not everyone is willing to pay a million dollars for it. It’s no secret that good dental work is expensive, especially if your teeth are far from perfect. The number one procedures that help achieve a Hollywood smile are veneers and crowns. These are also among the most expensive procedures to have done. They range in price from $1000 to $1500 PER TOOTH! While most people don’t redo all of their teeth they will usually do the 12-16 teeth that are most visible when you smile. Were talking $12,000-$24,000! Unless your great aunt nana left you some money or you just landed a fat bonus this may be too much for most people to drop. Don’t stress, there are alternatives to get you the smile you want. Below is one procedure that your dentist can hook you up with that will make a big difference but wont break the bank.

Bonding

This procedure consists of using composite (the same material we use for fillings) to reshape a tooth and make it look more attractive. It causes very little to no damage to the actual tooth; which is another plus. However, it is important to find a dentist that has experience and skill in performing this, especially if you’re wanting to have something drastic done.

What Can It Fix?

Bonding is an awesome tool to fix a wide variety of problems. The following are issues that can be corrected with bonding; chips or cracks in your teeth, spacing between teeth, a very discolored tooth, making small teeth look bigger, making a rotated or slightly crooked tooth look straight, creating a more even smile when some teeth are longer or shorter than others, removing white or patchy spots on teeth, repairing pits or indentations in the teeth, and much more.

How Does It Work?

The dentist will typically shave or smoothen out part of the tooth if necessary. The tooth is then usually roughened with an acid gel to provide a better bond between the tooth and filling material. A thin layer of glue is applied, and then the artistic part of it all kicks in. The dentist uses the filling material like clay in order to sculpt and shape the perfect tooth. The dentist will then use the drill (we prefer calling it a handpiece) to refine the tooth. The tooth is then polished, smoothed and voila you’ve got a new sexy tooth.

Drawbacks

While bonding is awesome and it only costs $100-$400 per tooth, it does have some drawbacks. The filling material used isn’t the most natural looking. Depending on how much bonding is needed it can make a tooth look chalky or less vibrant than the other teeth. The better the materials used and the closer the color is matched the less this happens, but its definitely an issue. Another problem is that the filling material is not as strong as your natural tooth and can easily chip or break, especially if you bite into something hard like nuts or like to open packages with your teeth. Also over time these fillings will stain and will have to be touched up. Nonetheless it’s a great way to get a beautiful smile on the cheap.  I’ve done lots of bonding procedures and all of my patients walk away very satisfied after having it done. So next time ask your dentist about bonding procedures and how it can enhance your particular smile.

-Dr. N