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HOW TO BUY THE PERFECT SMILE
excerpt from Philadelphia Magazine article BY CAROL SALINE ILLUSTRATIONS BY GARTH GLAZIER No longer the exclusive preserve of Hollywood's A-list, cosmetic dentistry has become a mainstream miracle, offering transformations ranging from whiter teeth to dramatically reshaped jaws. |
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For years the rich and famous have headed to cosmetic surgeons to improve their appearance. Now, celebrities like Chris Rock, Heidi Klum, Kevin Spacey and Donald Trump are flocking to cosmetic dentists, requesting smiles to dazzle the public and the paparazzi.
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Donald Trump did it. So did Cindy Crawford, Chris Rock, Heidi Klum and even Martin Amis. If you're thinking cosmetic surgery, think again: Their secret is cosmetic dentistry. Those immaculately white, perfectly proportioned teeth beaming from the pages of In Style magazine were probably created in the chair of a cosmetic dentist. In the past 10 years, the rich and famous as well as the girl next door are more likely to have turned to a cosmetic dentist than a cosmetic surgeon to polish their image.
A 10-year-old falls off his bike and breaks a tooth. A teacher hates the Lauren Hutton gap between her two front teeth. An aspiring model has a lovely smile, except for a crooked incisor. A 70-year-old grandmother's gums have receded, exposing a notched line where her teeth meet the roots; it's unsightly and sensitive. A salesman has tried unsuccessfully to bleach the embarrassing tetracycline stains from his teeth. These people are all ideal candidates for bonding.
Veneers transform broken, damaged or discolored teeth into pearly-white perfection. But these ultra-thin porcelain covers, bonded to lightly sanded teeth, don't come cheap: Prices range from $1000.00 to $2500.00.
Bonding ushered in the era of stick-on dentistry when, 30 years ago, a dentist found a way to make an artificial plastic material adhere to tooth enamel. Before that, the only way to change the shape of a tooth or repair a chip was with an expensive crown. Now, using this moldable plastic, dentists suddenly became sculptors. The basic technique generally stills uses a "blue light" - a concentrated wavelength of normal light initiates and accelerates the hardening of the resin. But the materials have evolved from relatively weak, opaque plastics that often looked like Chiclets to strong, stable, light-refracting lifelike composites that bond not only to the outer tooth surface, but to the dentin underneath, making it possible to repair a broken tooth where the enamel has been destroyed.
Despite its enormous versatility, bonding has been overshadowed by veneers-gleaming, ultra-thin porcelain covers that look like fake fingernails and are permanently adhered to teeth. Porcelain veneers (also called laminates) are made from ceramic glass, while bonding materials are plastic, making them less lustrous. It's a little like comparing the translucency of Lenox china to the opacity of Tupperware. Porcelain veneers take up stains, but they can be polished. The resin in bonded teeth in more porous and also discolors, but it can't be whitened. Porcelain veneers, which are designed by dentists but made by technicians in a laboratory, should last about 15 years. Bonding is good for about 10 and requires far more artistry from the dentist, who works directly on the tooth.
"I love doing bonding because of the hands-on experience. It's a real challenge and thrill," says Dr. Tara Sexton, a Bala Cynwyd general dentist specializing in cosmetics, who recommends it for small repairs, camouflaging localized discoloration, reshaping rotated teeth- and limited budgets.
Bonding will set you back $300 to $600 per tooth. Veneers, depending on the lab charges, the material and the dentist's reputation, start just below $1,000 a tooth and escalate to $2,500. A set of uppers and lowers can cost $25,000 to $30,000.
Please refer to Philadelphia Magazine for complete article.
Veneers transform broken, damaged or discolored teeth into pearly-white perfection. But these ultra-thin porcelain covers, bonded to lightly sanded teeth, don't come cheap: Prices range from $1000.00 to $2500.00.
Bonding ushered in the era of stick-on dentistry when, 30 years ago, a dentist found a way to make an artificial plastic material adhere to tooth enamel. Before that, the only way to change the shape of a tooth or repair a chip was with an expensive crown. Now, using this moldable plastic, dentists suddenly became sculptors. The basic technique generally stills uses a "blue light" - a concentrated wavelength of normal light initiates and accelerates the hardening of the resin. But the materials have evolved from relatively weak, opaque plastics that often looked like Chiclets to strong, stable, light-refracting lifelike composites that bond not only to the outer tooth surface, but to the dentin underneath, making it possible to repair a broken tooth where the enamel has been destroyed.
Despite its enormous versatility, bonding has been overshadowed by veneers-gleaming, ultra-thin porcelain covers that look like fake fingernails and are permanently adhered to teeth. Porcelain veneers (also called laminates) are made from ceramic glass, while bonding materials are plastic, making them less lustrous. It's a little like comparing the translucency of Lenox china to the opacity of Tupperware. Porcelain veneers take up stains, but they can be polished. The resin in bonded teeth in more porous and also discolors, but it can't be whitened. Porcelain veneers, which are designed by dentists but made by technicians in a laboratory, should last about 15 years. Bonding is good for about 10 and requires far more artistry from the dentist, who works directly on the tooth.
"I love doing bonding because of the hands-on experience. It's a real challenge and thrill," says Dr. Tara Sexton, a Bala Cynwyd general dentist specializing in cosmetics, who recommends it for small repairs, camouflaging localized discoloration, reshaping rotated teeth- and limited budgets.
Bonding will set you back $300 to $600 per tooth. Veneers, depending on the lab charges, the material and the dentist's reputation, start just below $1,000 a tooth and escalate to $2,500. A set of uppers and lowers can cost $25,000 to $30,000.
Please refer to Philadelphia Magazine for complete article.
