Cosmetic Dentistry
Get the Healthy, Flawless Smile You've Always Wanted
We perform several cosmetic dental procedures at our office in Bellevue that will help you improve the look and function of your teeth. Read on for descriptions of some of our most common procedures, and contact our office to learn more.
Teeth Whitening
When performed by a dentist, teeth whitening, or bleaching, is quite effective. Your dentist can administer a higher concentration of whitening solution than over-the-counter systems, so the results are more significant. We offer several types of teeth whitening procedures at our Bellevue dental office. Your dentist will help you determine the best solution for your unique lifestyle and goals.
How we can help: Chairside or in-office teeth whitening is performed in about an hour. Your dentist will use either a highly concentrated bleaching solution or a gel-and-light system to whisk away stains caused by common foods, beverages, tobacco, age, and/or tetracycline medications. If you would prefer to lighten your teeth at home, professional take-home kits can do the job in about two weeks. Both systems yield amazing results of up to 10 shades difference. In some cases, your dentist may suggest a combination of home and in-office bleaching. If teeth whitening does not work for you, consider porcelain veneers or cosmetic bonding to indefinitely eliminate stains.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are handcrafted, custom-made, thin shells of dental porcelain placed on your front teeth. They are stain resistant and custom-tinted to blend with surrounding teeth. Veneers can dramatically transform your smile by correcting flaws like:
- Chips
- Gaps
- Misshapenness
- Cracks
- Misalignment
- Stains
How we can help: Your dentist will meet with you in a consultation to discuss your ideal smile and then create a custom design for your porcelain veneers. They will then secure temporary veneers to your teeth while a ceramist fabricates your one-of-a-kind restorations in our Bellevue dental lab. Once your veneers are ready, the dentist will remove your temporaries and place your custom veneers.
Cosmetic Bonding
Chips, stains, gaps, and cracks on your front teeth can easily detract from an otherwise attractive appearance. But if you're hesitant about investing in dental veneers, consider cosmetic bonding instead. Although bonding doesn't last as long as veneers, it is generally faster and less expensive than bonding. Plus, like veneers, bonding resists stains, so it holds its natural-looking color.
How we can help: Your dentist will use the same custom-tinted, liquid resin used for white fillings for the procedure. Once your dentist has prepared your tooth or teeth, they will tint the resin to blend with the existing tooth enamel and apply it as needed. A soft light will then harden the substance, and your dentist will sculpt and polish the newly shaped tooth so it looks completely natural.