Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dental procedures can not only improve your smile but can also boost your self-confidence. The highly experienced, board-certified dentists and friendly staff at Clock Tower Dental provide a full range of cosmetic and restorative dentistry services. With as little as one trip, you can start your journey toward a happier, healthier smile. Click here for more information about our Periodontal Plastic Therapy for gum problems.

Tooth Colored Resin Fillings

Tooth Colored Resin Fillings Franklin Square Amalgam fillings have been used for many years and are considered strong, durable and relatively inexpensive compared to other materials. Although strong and effective, many patients do not choose to use amalgam fillings because of their silver color that can be visible while eating, speaking or smiling.

Now there are fillings specially designed to match the natural color of the tooth. Directly-bonded, tooth-colored resin fillings can make a tooth look like new, whether they are used for small areas of decay or to replace current fillings.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain Veneers Franklin Square

Veneers are very thin, tooth-colored shells that are custom-fit and bonded to the front of the teeth to give you a bright, white, even, attractive smile. Commonly made of composite (plastic) or porcelain, veneers make it possible to correct a variety of color and shape problems.

There are two kinds of veneers:

Composite or direct veneers, where a special plastic is molded and bonded directly to the tooth in one appointment; and
Porcelain or indirect veneers, where thin shells are custom-made in a lab and applied to the teeth. These require two appointments: one for taking an impression, and a second for preparing the natural teeth and placing the veneers once they have been created. Lumineers are a new kind of porcelain veneers that are so thin they don't require any tooth-buffing before placement.

Veneers offer several advantages over crowns; veneers are more durable, often do not require much (if any) removal of the natural tooth material, and will not stain or change color—and they tend to cost less.

Placing veneers requires two appointments. During the first, impressions are made of the teeth so that a set of veneers can be created specifically for your individual smile. At the second appointment, your natural teeth are buffed to prepare for the veneers, which are placed on the teeth with an etching solution and special light.

Lumineers®

Lumineers® are an advanced form of porcelain veneers that significantly reduce or eliminate the need for grinding down the original tooth structure in preparation of placement. Made of an ultra-thin, translucent material, Lumineers are simply placed over your own teeth or to existing crowns and bridges with no need for additional treatment, making nearly any patient seeking to improve the appearance of their smile an ideal candidate for this procedure.

Placement of Lumineers requires only two office visits and does not involve any drilling, pain or shots, making them safe and comfortable even for patients with sensitive teeth. After a customized mold is made during the initial appointment, it usually takes about 7 to 10 business days for Lumineers to arrive from the lab, at which point patients can enjoy benefits such as:

A quick and easy procedure
Long-lasting white teeth
Sensitivity-free results
Little to no post-operative pain

With Lumineers, patients can achieve a bright, beautiful and healthy smile that lasts for over 20 years with no special maintenance required. You will still be able to eat all of your favorite foods with an added confidence. Clinical research has proven Lumineers to provide long-term smile improvement with zero discoloration or degeneration.

Dental Bonding

Dental Bonding Franklin Square

Bonding is a special filling that can restore, reshape and rejuvenate your teeth, improving both the function and the appearance of your smile. By applying a thin layer of tooth-colored plastic to the front of the tooth and sculpting it like clay, your dentist may use bonding to correct chipped or cracked teeth, broken or misshapen teeth, stained teeth or spaces between teeth.

What are the different kinds of bonding available?

There are two main kinds of bonding: small, simple fillings like the ones described above that can be done in a single appointment, and more complex fillings that require at least two appointments and the placement of a temporary filling while the custom-shaped and -colored filling is made in a lab. Although they take longer, custom-made porcelain fillings are more natural-looking, stain-resistant and durable than ordinary bonded fillings.

Will people be able to tell I've had bonding done?

Bonded teeth look and function just like your natural teeth. The bonding material can be colored as well as molded, so it is often possible to match the shade of your teeth. When bonding is performed by an experienced dentist, people won't be able to tell that you've had cosmetic work done on your teeth—except for how good your smile will look when the bonding is done!