If it doesn’t meet your full expectations, your smile can be a source of discomfort and embarrassment. Being able to finally change the way your teeth and gums look can be more thrilling then your favorite team winning the World Series, or taking a dream vacation. The decision is lifechanging.
Cosmetic dentist D. Gordon Rye, D.D.S., of Rye Smiles for Life in Fairfax, Virginia, has reconstructed hundred’s of patient’s mouths so that they can have a smile they are proud of. For Dr. Rye, one of the most rewarding parts of his job is seeing the new level of self confidence that is achieved when a patient leaves his office for the first time after seeing their new look. While you may need to visit your dentist for brief visits for molds and model work to be done, the tremendous advances that have been made in the techniques and technology used in reconstructive dentistry have taken the process from dozens of procedures with your dentist, to just two major appointments.
First Appointment
With excitement brewing and expectations high, your first visit will take about three to four hours to complete. Dr. Rye explains that a cosmetic dentistry procedure is tightly choreographed. Your dentist will have prepared enough to know exactly what is going to happen before you ever get to the office on that first day. You and your dentist will go over all the procedures that will take place, and he will begin to prepare you for your new set of teeth by taking a final set of measurements and x-rays. During this appointment, you may also have your gums re-contoured, your bite properly aligned, and your teeth reshaped.
Since you have waited so long for this perfect smile, it could be a major disappointment to leave the dentist’s office basically the same way you came in. While you won’t be able to return home after that first appointment with your new, permanent look, your doctor will fit you with a set of temporary teeth, known as the transitional smile.
The transitional smile is still made to fit your teeth, based on previous molds and models, but does not have the permanence your veneers will. This temporary set stays in your mouth for about two to three weeks before all your permanent teeth are put in place. The reason for the intermittent stage is that creating porcelain teeth is a personalized and customized process that can’t be done on the spot.
Second Visit
A couple of weeks later, after your dentist has confirmed that your new set of veneers have arrived, you can schedule your second, and final, appointment. At this time, your new porcelain teeth will be put in place to cover your existing teeth. Depending on how many teeth you are having fixed it, can take up to three hours to put all of the porcelain veneers in place.
Then, congratulations can be offered, and smiles exchanged, because now you have that perfect smile you have been anticipating. And, if you want to enhance your smile even further, you can ask your dentist about teeth whitening options as well. Using a powerful, but safe, bleaching method, your dentist can whiten your teeth to a beautiful sheen.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
