Focus on Smiles Blog

Tooth whitening and porcelain veneers are cosmetic dentistry procedures which have been gaining popularity as methods to correct an imperfect smile. Both can be used to help with discoloration or staining of teeth, but it is important to consult with your cosmetic dentist so you can choose the right option for your needs.

Porcelain veneers use a thin piece of custom-shaped ceramic to give new front surfaces to front teeth. They are bonded to your teeth, completely covering any imperfections. Besides covering stains that cannot be removed by tooth whitening, they can correct slight crookedness, mismatched tooth sizes, gaps, and chips, all in the same procedure. They are a more comprehensive treatment than tooth whitening.

Tooth whitening is easier and quicker, being done in one visit instead of two. If your teeth are straight and well-matched, veneers would not be necessary, and to brighten your smile, you could have an in-office tooth whitening treatment or use a take-home kit with customized trays.

Dr. Fialka-Eshenko will have those trays made for you so that the whitening gel will not leak out, as it does from store-bought whitening kit trays. Your trays will fit snugly and apply the whitening gel evenly for best results.

If you are interested in dental veneers or tooth whitening o help with your smile, please contact our cosmetic dentistry office in Edmonton to set up a complimentary consultation.

Porcelain, or dental, veneers are a great option for those who want a permanent, pain-free improvement in their smile.

What issues can porcelain veneers fix?
Dental veneers are great for fixing common issues like:

• Gaps
• Chips
• Crooked teeth
• Stained or discolored teeth
• Uneven teeth

What are porcelain veneers?
Porcelain veneers are custom-made pieces of ceramic bonded to the front surface of your tooth. They are very durable and in some cases they are a good alternative to traditional orthodontic treatment because the entire procedure only takes two visits. Hence, porcelain veneers are often referred to as "instant orthodontics."

However, if your teeth are too severely crooked or uneven, dental veneers would not be the answer. Instead you could use Invisalign aligners to straighten them and a tooth whitening treatment to brighten them.

How do I take care of my dental veneers?
Your dental veneers need basically the same care as your natural teeth:

• Maintain good oral heath with regular brushing, flossing, and dental checkups
• Avoid grinding or clenching your teeth
• Avoid excess force on your teeth, like chewing on pens or ice, or even biting your nails

Please see our page on common questions about dental veneers for more information.

If you live in or around Edmonton and have been considering dental veneers, please contact Dr. Christine Fialka-Eshenko's office for an evaluation. We can help create the smile you've always wanted.

There are very few people who do not want to change something about their smile. Whether it is stains, discoloration, cracks, chips, or gaps, there is always something that could give you that perfect smile you see in movies. Porcelain veneers might a great way to achieve a smile you can be proud of.

The porcelain veneers process is a great option for a perfect smile because it can be completed in as little as two visits. It is also virtually pain free and is done in a few simple steps:

• Dr. Fialka-Eshenko will prepare your teeth by removing a thin layer of their enamel
• She will take an impression of the teeth so that the dental lab can custom-create your porcelain veneers to fit exactly
• Once the veneers have been made, you will come back to the office and Dr. Fialka-Eshenko will bond them to your teeth

In just two quick and painless trips to the office, you will have a brand new smile. If you live in the Edmonton area and have been considering porcelain veneers, now is the time to contact the office of Dr. Christine Fialka-Eshenko for a personal consultation. Your new smile is just around the corner.

Many people suffer from stained or discolored teeth. It is part of the aging process and it can make a person feel self-conscious about their smile. Besides aging, pigmented foods and drinks stain the teeth, and also certain minerals in our drinking water.

Fluoride Can be Over-Used
Most city water has fluoride added. Fluoride helps to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent decay and it can help teeth repair themselves if minor decay has started (a process called remineralization). But too much fluoride can discolor the teeth and can cause a condition caused skeletal flurosis, where the bones become brittle and break easily.

Most often, fluoride discoloration is found in children. If the drinking water is fluoridated and the parents also give a fluoride supplement to their children and have them use fluoride toothpaste, staining can result. When the teeth are stained early in life, as they are developing in the child, that is deep staining that will be harder to remove with any teeth whitening procedure than the surface stains from pigmented food and drink.

Other minerals that stain teeth are iron and manganese, which cause brown stains. Well water may contain these minerals as well as city water.

Teeth Whitening a Good Remedy
Most tooth staining can be removed by a teeth whitening procedure done by a qualified dentist. Dr. Fialka-Eshenko offers an in-office tooth whitening treatment that will give you dramatic whitening results in about 90 minutes. She also offers whitening kits you can use at home. They are far superior to store-bought whitening kits, as she will have two trays custom-made for a snug fit on your teeth, upper and lower, and will supply professional-grade whitening gel.

If you live in the Edmonton area and are interested in teeth whitening, please contact Dr. Christine Fialka-Eshenko for a complimentary consultation. We will help you select the whitening option that's right for you.

Almost everyone has some sort of tooth discoloration, whether it is gray, brown or yellow in shade. This discoloration can make us self-conscious about our smile. A certain amount of discoloration is expected with age, but some factors speed it up:

• Drinking a lot of dark liquids such as coffee, black tea, red wine or dark sodas. They contain pigments that stain the teeth, and the same is true of pigmented foods like blackberries or blueberries.
• Smoking or chewing tobacco. The nicotine causes yellow staining on the teeth.
• Taking in too much fluoride. There may be fluoride in your home's water supply, and it is in most toothpastes and mouthwashes. Supplements are seldom necessary and may harm the bones as well as the teeth.
• Trauma to a tooth - a broken tooth invites bacteria and decay and may become necrotic, the tissue darkening as it dies. However, this would be painful and most people would contact a dentist fairly quickly.

Tooth Whitening Choices
These days, after all the media coverage of tooth whitening and TV programs about dental makeovers, the stores are full of products to whiten the teeth. Most of them are ineffective or give uneven results, or even damage the teeth. Toothpastes that claim to "whiten" your teeth will actually yellow them over time, as they contain abrasive ingredients that scrape off tooth enamel.

1. Professional tooth whitening can be done in a dental office. This form of whitening will give you the best results and we offer a highly effective procedure in our office that takes about 90 minutes. We also offer At-Home tooth whitening, where Dr. Fialka-Eshenko will have customized trays made for you and the kit will contain professional-strength whitening gel.
2. Dental bonding, where individual teeth can be whitened if a trauma or accident has discolored them. Dr. Fialka-Eshenko would apply dental composite and shape it to correct or hide the defect.
3. Porcelain veneers, where very thin pieces of tooth shaped porcelain are bonded to the front surfaces of your teeth. They provide an entirely new surface, hiding the old stained one.

If you suffer from dark or discolored teeth and are interested in tooth whitening, please contact our Edmonton cosmetic dentistry office today to set up a complimentary consultation. We will evaluate your condition and help you choose an option that best suits your needs.