Ask For Recommendations

When looking for a cosmetic dentist, one of the best ways to find the right one is to ask for recommendations from friends and family. It's highly unlikely that somebody who knows you is going to recommend a dentist that they had a bad experience with, after all. In addition, you can ask for referrals online, for example on social media, where people are usually all too happy to share details of cosmetic dentistry services that they'd recommend. Don't forget to check out online reviews as well.
 

Ask Questions

Once you've found a cosmetic dentist who appears to offer all the services that you need and has a good reputation, it's important that you ask as many questions as you need to make sure that you're making the right choice. For example, bear in mind that very few dental schools provide continuing education in cosmetic dentistry, so it's a good idea to find out what kind of post-graduate training your potential new dentist has undergone. Remember that any good, reputable cosmetic dentist will be more than happy to show you their certifications and achievements upon request; they may even have a copy on display at the surgery.
 

Check Out Before and After Photos

A skilled dentist will always have examples of their best work to show to any prospective new patients. Before you go ahead and make an appointment for a consultation, it's a good idea to ask if you can take a look at the before and after photos of past patients. Today, you can often find these readily available to view online at the dentist's website or social media page. This will give you a good idea of what to expect and showcase exactly how skilled your potential new cosmetic dentist is.
 

Book a Consultation

All good cosmetic dentists will offer a consultation for a small fee or even free of charge; this gives you a chance to explain your needs and requirements to them. Then, they will be able to explain all the different factors of your treatment to you, from what to expect in the chair to how much it is likely to cost. It's important that you don't rush through the consultation; good communication at this point is essential to help you achieve the best results.

Taking the right steps to find a good cosmetic dentist like Progressive Dentistry is important for the successful restoration of your smile.

Tooth Whitening

Tooth whitening is the most popular form of cosmetic dentistry. If you have yellow, discoloured teeth and would like them whiter this is for you. Our preferred method involves using take home whitening trays and 6% hydrogen peroxide gel. We use Philips Zoom and Enlighten systems. These techniques are proven, safe and easily maintained. will not work on dental restorations such as crowns, veneers, bridges, implants and metal fillings. Areas of gum recession and abrasion will also not whiten. It is therefore very important that a dentist undertakes a full clinical examination prior to tooth whitening.
 

Cosmetic Bonding

Cosmetic bonding is the most conservative method of restoring fractured, chipped, small, uneven teeth. The technique is non invasive as highly aesthetic tooth coloured composite material is carefully layered over the teeth. Once placed, it is then contoured and polished to a fine lustre. The bonding will require maintenance over time with polishing, repair and eventual replacement. However, as the underlying tooth is the same there is no biological damage and the process can simply be repeated. In our experience, cosmetic bonding is the first choice to repair damaged teeth.
 

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are an excellent method of repairing a tooth if there has been heavy damage, severe discolouration or large existing dental fillings. They are the most aesthetic method of providing a new tooth surface. With the latest technology, porcelain veneers are undetectable from natural teeth. They often require preparation of the underlying teeth and for this reason, the technique is not the most conservative. In certain circumstances, porcelain veneers can be placed with minimal or no preparation. This is usually when the teeth are in a good alignment, with no crowding and point contacts. Our porcelain veneer of choice, is E-max by Ivoclar. If you have a gummy smile and the gum (gingival) margins are uneven this presents a major cosmetic issue. One simple method is to create symmetry of the gum line by using a soft tissue laser. This technique is very precise, delicate and allows fantastic healing of the area. However, careful analysis must be undertaken prior to any contouring to avoid invasion of the biological width. What is this, you may ask. Well, ask your dentist. Any dentist with experience and knowledge of cosmetic dentistry should know. If your dentist cannot answer this, then they should not be undertaking the procedure!
 

Teeth Straightening

Cosmetic teeth straightening is becoming the technique of choice prior to any of the above techniques. Moving the teeth in the correct position not only creates a beautiful smile but allows for far better dentistry in the future. Due to the advances in modern technology, teeth be straightened fairly quickly and discreetly. There are techniques such as lingual braces (placed on the inside of the teeth), ceramic braces (tooth coloured braces) and clear aligners such as Invisalign (removable clear braces). These all mean that the traditional metal braces can be avoided. Each person is different and hence each treatment will be bespoke. It is vital that a full clinical examination and assessment is undertaken prior to any treatment. There is no such thing as one size fits all. If your dentist only offers one option, seek a second opinion. One important point to mention is that when teeth are straightened, they must be retained. Our preferred method of retention is by using a fixed wire retainer placed on the inside of the teeth. A removable retainer can also be used at night to doubly ensure the teeth stay nice and straight.
 

Dental Hygiene

For any cosmetic dental technique, the health of the gums must be excellent. Prior to any treatment, a visit or two to the will not only make the teeth look better and improve the gum health but ensure that the future treatment will b successful. The presence of dental plaque is the main cause of failure in dentistry. The lower the levels of plaque bacteria, the less risk of biologic damage and the higher the success rate. Visits to the dental hygienist should be at least twice a year or quarterly for those who require greater maintenance.

We hope you have found this guide to be useful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: - Voted London's Best Practice Dentistry Awards 2013 Tel 0207 7311162 e info@progressivedentistry.co.uk