You have a winning smile except for one small flaw — one of your front teeth is chipped. In functional terms the defect is insignificant: your tooth is healthy and can still do its job. But with regard to your smile that chip is like a smudge on a masterpiece painting: it stands out — and not in a good way.

The good news is you have options to repair the chip and vastly improve your appearance. One option is to bond a custom porcelain veneer to the outside of the tooth to cover the chip. But that would also mean removing a slight bit of tooth enamel so the veneer won't appear too bulky. Although not as much as with a crown, the alteration still permanently affects the tooth — it will always require a restoration of some kind.

There's another choice that doesn't involve removing any of your enamel: composite resin. This treatment is a mixture of materials with a glass-like binder in liquid form that we apply to a tooth in successive coats. As we build up the layers we can match the tooth's shape, texture and various shades of its natural color. We're able to fill in the defect and make the tooth appear as natural as possible.

Unlike porcelain restorations, composite resins don't require a dental lab or a period of weeks to prepare. We can transform your simile in our office in as little as one visit.

Composite resin isn't the answer for every tooth defect. Teeth that have become worn, fractured or have undergone a root canal treatment are best treated with a porcelain restoration such as a veneer or crown. But where the defect is relatively minor, composite resin may be the answer.

To learn if you can benefit from a composite resin restoration, you'll need to undergo a dental exam. If we determine you're a candidate, we can use this state-of-the-art dental material to make your teeth look flawless.

If you would like more information on composite resins, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Artistic Repair of Front Teeth with Composite Resin.”

Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates knows how important it is to present your best face to the world — and one of the most important features of that face is a beaming smile. But there came a point when she noticed something was a little off. “I've always had good teeth, but it seemed to me as I was getting older that they weren't looking as good,” Kathy explained in a recent interview with Dear Doctor magazine.

That's when she decided it was time to take action. Kathy had orthodontic treatment when she was in her fifties, and she keeps her smile bright with tooth whitening treatments. She uses a kit provided by her dentist with a safe, effective whitening solution.

Of course, a bright, healthy smile looks great anywhere — whether you're on the red carpet or “off the grid.” And you don't have to be a Hollywood star to have professional whitening treatments. In fact, teeth whitening is one of the most popular and affordable cosmetic treatments modern dentistry offers.

The basic options for professional teeth whitening include in-office bleaching or take-home kits. Both types of dentist-supervised treatments offer a safe and effective means of getting a brighter smile; the main difference is how long they take to produce results. A single one-hour treatment in the office can make your teeth up to ten shades lighter — a big difference! To get that same lightening with at-home trays, it would take several days. On the plus side, the take-home kit is less expensive, and can achieve the same results in a bit more time.

It's important to note that not all teeth can be whitened with these treatments. Some teeth have intrinsic (internal) stains that aren't affected by external agents like bleaches. Also, teeth that have been restored (with bonding or veneers, for example) generally won't change color. And you can't necessarily whiten your teeth to any degree: Every tooth has a maximum whiteness, and adding more bleach won't lighten it beyond that level. Most people, however, find that teeth whitening treatments produce noticeable and pleasing results.

What about those off-the-shelf kits or in-the-mall kiosks? They might work… or they might not. But one thing's for sure: Without a dentist's supervision, you're on your own. That's the main reason why you should go with a pro if you're considering teeth whitening. We not only ensure that your treatment is safe — we can also give you a realistic idea of what results to expect, and we will make sure that other dental problems aren't keeping you from having a great-looking smile.

How often does Kathy Bates see her dentist for a checkup and cleaning? “I go about every four months,” she noted. “I'm pretty careful about it.” And if you've seen her smile, you can tell that it pays off. If you would like more information about teeth whitening, please contact us or schedule an appointment. You can learn more in the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Important Teeth Whitening Questions Answered” and “Teeth Whitening.”