Your smile is a part of you– often considered the most memorable feature of your overall appearance. Dr. Blaylock aims to have a comfortable, functional smile you feel good about. Cosmetic dentistry can do more than enhance your natural smile. Cosmetic procedures can address various dental problems and help maintain lifelong oral health.
Choosing the Right Cosmetic Dentist
As a Dawson-trained dentist in Durham, NC, with over 35 years of experience, Dr. Brent Blaylock provides extraordinary care. He’s adept at diagnosing and treating complex dental problems and bite disorders. Furthermore, he offers various cosmetic dental treatments. These can help restore a damaged smile and balance the bite for lasting dental health.
Dr. Blaylock understands underlying dental problems. Addressing these is part of your overall dental health care, and it is necessary for the results of any cosmetic dentistry procedure to be comfortable and long-lasting.
High-quality Cosmetic Dentistry in Durham
Dr. Blaylock offers a wide range of cosmetic dental treatments and procedures, including:
- Porcelain veneers: Veneers are a quick way to get a beautiful smile. We recommend them for people with stains, chips, or gaps between teeth. They are wafer-thin shells that will cover the front surface and sides of a defective tooth. Porcelain veneers are less invasive than crowns or orthodontic treatments and offer permanent results. They are custom-made to blend seamlessly with your smile.
- Dental crowns: Crowns, also called tooth caps, fit over an entire tooth for aesthetics and added strength. They are a popular and affordable treatment for many cosmetic issues. They can treat misshaped, broken, discolored, and chipped teeth and close a gap between them. A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that we place over your natural tooth and cement into place.
- Tooth bonding: Tooth bonding is a process where we bond a tooth-colored material to the tooth to improve its appearance. We use bonding for cosmetic reasons, including badly stained, broken, or chipped teeth. Like a dental filling procedure, tooth bonding is typically an easy process we can complete during one visit. Tooth bonding involves tooth-colored resin material using adhesives and a high-intensity curing light.
- Teeth whitening: Dr. Brent Blaylock offers custom take-home teeth whitening treatment. Professional teeth whitening is a fast, easy way to enhance your smile. Our personalized take-home teeth whitening kit is great for patients who want the convenience of whitening their teeth at home.
What is a Smile Makeover?
A smile makeover uses multiple cosmetic dental treatments to make over the smile. It completely transforms your smile into the one you dream of. As dentistry advances and makes more procedures affordable and accessible to more patients, almost anyone can get smile makeovers. Dr. Blaylock offers smile makeovers for patients who require more than one cosmetic treatment.
Before recommending treatment, Dr. Blaylock examines the smile and considers each patient’s cosmetic goals. He then creates a custom treatment plan that includes the order of treatments. For instance, he recommends that patients straighten their smiles before receiving teeth whitening treatment.
We aim to make a smile makeover a completely comprehensive process. Our office provides a variety of different services to ensure you get everything that you need. Your smile greatly impacts your self-esteem, and we want you to be proud to show off your smile every chance you get.
Why Choose Cosmetic Dentistry?
When patients want to get cosmetic care, it’s usually because they aren’t happy with how their smiles look. And while cosmetic dentistry focuses on the looks of your smile, it comes with many other benefits you may not realize.
Mental and Social Benefits
Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. The impact of a beautiful smile goes past the aesthetic value. When you’re happy with your smile, you have a more positive outlook and are happier overall. Your self-esteem is better, and people can publicly see your confidence in yourself. People who are insecure about their smiles are more likely to suffer from anxiety or depression. They’re worried about how people perceive them and try to hide their smiles.
People are more likely to want to be friends with someone who projects a comfortable, self-assured air. With these personality traits, you attract positive opinions from people. You can feel confident in social situations since you don’t have to worry about hiding your smile. You’re more comfortable in public, which shows when you’re out and about.
Your smile even has an impact on your professional life. A healthy, beautiful smile projects confidence during a job or promotion interview. When you want a job, you want to put all your efforts into assuring you look and come off your best. Cosmetic dentistry can help you get your dream job.
Improved Functionality
Many cosmetic problems are associated with oral health concerns. Crooked teeth are one of the best examples. When patients want Invisalign, it’s usually because they aren’t happy with how their teeth look. However, crooked teeth can cause a variety of health concerns.
Crooked teeth are much more difficult to clean than straight teeth. They come together at odd angles and are often cramped or crowded. Sometimes, you can’t even get dental floss or specialized dental tools between them. If you can’t clean some areas, they’ll still experience plaque and tartar buildup. Even if you’re doing everything right, you’re still at high risk for tooth decay and gum disease because of these areas.
When your teeth are crooked, you have an uneven bite. When we bring our teeth together, the pressure of our bite usually distributes evenly throughout all of our teeth. If your teeth are uneven, some take on more pressure than others. These teeth are more likely to wear down prematurely, crack, or fracture than the rest of your teeth. Then, you normally require restorative dental solutions to fix them.
An uneven bite is one of the main causes of TMJ disorder development. Your jaw muscles tense up because they move strangely, and the jaw joint breaks down. You may experience popping and clicking noises, pain, tension, and inability to move your jaw into certain positions. The longer you go without correcting your bite, the worse the symptoms become.
Cosmetic Dentistry FAQs
Cosmetic dentistry transforms the look of your smile. Read the answers to these commonly asked questions to learn more.
What is cosmetic dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry involves changing your teeth, gums, and your bite to improve the overall appearance of your smile. A dentist can utilize almost any dental treatment to accomplish this.
What can cosmetic dentistry fix?
Cosmetic dentistry can fix many dental problems, including crooked teeth, stained teeth, yellow teeth, and aged or worn-down teeth. It can also treat uneven teeth, teeth with gaps, misaligned teeth, chipped or cracked teeth, and missing teeth.
Why is cosmetic dentistry so popular?
A person’s smile is one of the first things others notice. Cosmetic dentistry has grown in popularity because patients want a better-looking smile. Having a smile that you love will significantly improve your confidence and self-image. Additionally, the most popular cosmetic treatments will also improve your oral health.
What treatment(s) will I need to achieve a smile makeover?
Dr. Blaylock will want to see you for an initial consultation to learn your goals before recommending treatments. During this appointment, he will analyze your smile.
In addition to learning what you dislike about your smile, Dr. Blaylock will look for any oral health problems. These can impact your results. The last step is to review his recommendations. Each smile makeover patient will have a personalized treatment plan based on their needs and wants.
How long do porcelain veneers last?
Porcelain veneers can last 10 to 20 years. Brush and floss regularly to help ensure their longevity.
You should also avoid eating foods that are sticky or chewy. Do not bite down on hard foods like nuts. You should brush your teeth twice daily and floss well at least once daily. Lastly, you should visit your dentist every six months for professional dental cleanings.
How long does teeth whitening last?
The effects of teeth whitening can last from six months to three years. It largely depends on the patient’s oral hygiene habits. You should also avoid foods and drinks that stain teeth, such as coffee, tea, red wine, and dark juices. You should brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss once daily to remove any plaque or bacteria that can cause discoloration.
Schedule a Cosmetic Dental Consultation Today
Dr. Blaylock and his dental team will thoroughly evaluate your dental health and recommend a treatment plan. We tailor it to your oral health needs and personal cosmetic goals. Your Durham dentist seeks to help his patients maintain a comfortable, functional bite they are proud to share and feel good about. Request a dental exam and consultation by calling us at 919-518-9963 or requesting an appointment online anytime.
A healthy smile is an important part of your daily quality of life. Cosmetic dentistry can help you keep your natural teeth looking and feeling their best for as long as possible.