Cosmetic Bonding

What do you do if you have a small gap in between your teeth?

You could get braces. 

You could get crowns or veneers. 

But both of those options are expensive and time consuming. 

What if there was a way to close gaps that didn't cost a lot that 

could be done in 1 appointment?

There is!

It's called cosmetic bonding. 

Here is a case that I just did today. 

Before

 After

Cosmetic bonding is a small amount of filling material that

is placed on the side of 1, or both, teeth in order to close the gap. 

There are other types of cosmetic bonding but the same concept applies. 

It's as strong as a normal filling because that's what it is. 

No numbing shots

No big bill

No weeks or months of treatment 

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Cosmetic Bonding of Front Two Teeth

Lots of things are becoming more convenient these days. 

Why not your dentistry?

If you can't afford a "smile makeover".

If you don't want to wear braces for 2 years.

If you don't want shots.

Then maybe you are a candidate for some

Cosmetic Bonding.

Here is the before.

And here is the after

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Do I just have a cavity or do I need a Root Canal?

So your tooth hurts. 

But how do you know if its just a cavity that needs filling

or if it's progressed to something much more serious and 

needs to have a Root Canal Treatment preformed on it?

First thing is to determine when the tooth hurts.

Cavities typically hurt only on exposure to hot or cold temperature changes.

Teeth that need root canals will hurt on biting, hot, cold, and 

perhaps most importantly, they may start hurting for no reason at all.

If you are just reading a book and your tooth starts hurting, 

you may be in trouble.

Another indicator would be the presence of an abscess. 

An abscess is a little bump next to the tooth on the gums.

This is a sign that there may be infection and that a root canal 

may indeed be in your future.

These are all general guidelines.

No matter what, if you feel any discomfort in your teeth you should

seek professional advice as soon as possible.

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Cosmetic Bonding of Lateral Incisor

Dr Jim Ellis, Ogden Utah: Cosmetic Touch Up

This patient had a small gap next to her front tooth. She had hated it her whole life but thought that it would take a lot to fix.

• Well, it took about 20 minutes.
• Used some cosmetic bonding techniques.
• Very durable and much cheaper then alternatives.

BEFORE Cosmetic Bonding

AFTER Cosmetic Bonding

Dr. Jim Ellis, DDS
1220 33rd Street Suite C
Ogden, UT 84403
(801) 783-3490

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SOURCE: http://www.bestogdendentist.com/2013/05/cosmetic-bonding-lateral-incisor/

Cosmetic Makeovers in Ogden, Utah

There are some fairly common malformations of teeth. One of them is called the peg-lateral. It’s when the tooth, just to the side of your front two teeth, is very slender. Sometimes, it can look like a little peg, thus the name.

These teeth can be tough to fix with a veneer or crown because both of those procedures require taking away of tooth structure. And as you can see from the picture, there isn't a lot of tooth structure to spare.

Thus, cosmetic bonding is a very good option for these teeth. Quick, painless, and inexpensive. Peg laterals can be restored to the correct size and functionality .

Nothing is ever as strong as your natural teeth. But, if you only use your teeth for what they were designed for -- EATING. These bonding procedures should hold up very well for a long time.


Dr. Jim Ellis, DDS
1220 33rd Street Suite C
Ogden, UT 84403
(801) 783-3490

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SOURCE: http://www.bestogdendentist.com/2013/03/cosmetic-makeovers-ogden-utah/

I have always hated my teeth

I hear this a lot. And, it is sad because usually what is needed to fix the problem is not all that much. We will call this patient, Mrs. Skip.

Mrs. Skip had always made sure that here kid’s teeth were taken care of. Today, it was her turn.  She wanted something nice looking but didn’t want to get killed on the bill.
We decided that cosmetic bonding was the way to go.

Here is the BEFORE photo. 

 

Here is the AFTER photo. 

• Gaps closed.
• Centrals shortened.
• Laterals more prominent.

One very happy patient.


Dr. Jim Ellis, DDS
1220 33rd Street Suite C
Ogden, UT 84403
(801) 783-3490

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SOURCE: http://www.bestogdendentist.com/2013/03/have-always-hated-teeth/ 

Are you a candidate for a Cosmetic Dental Makeover?

That is a question that can only be answered by the individual.

This is Camille. Camille did not like the way her teeth looked when she smiled. Now, some people would say that Camille looked great and did not need any dental work done. But for Camille, there were some things that she didn't like, and wanted to change. Camille decided to get 8 crowns placed across her top teeth.

BEFORE Cosmetic Dental Makeover

These are state of the art Zirconia (Zirconium) crowns. No chance of a black line ever showing through at the gums. No chance of porcelain cracking off of the crown. Beautiful, beautiful crowns.

AFTER Cosmetic Dental Makeover 

Camille is a very happy lady.

Dr. Jim Ellis, DDS
1220 33rd Street Suite C
Ogden, UT 84403
(801) 783-3490

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SOURCE: http://www.bestogdendentist.com/2013/02/are-you-candidate-for-cosmetic-dental-makeover/

Finished Bonding Case.

Many cases only require bonding on the upper arch.

And many only between the 2 front teeth.

This case required bonding on the bottom also.

About an hour.

No numbing.

Cheap as a few fillings.

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Closing the gap.

Here are some pictures of a patient that we saw today.

The patient has always wanted to get the gaps in his teeth fixed

but has been hesitant to go through the process of braces.

Today we only did the front two teeth in order to see

if the patient wanted to proceed with filling the rest of the gaps.

Before

After

This procedure took about 30 minutes and the patient needed to shots at all.

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What kind of bleaching is right for me?

Teeth whitening is a very hot topic these days.

It seems as though everybody and their dog is offering to have your

teeth whitened for life, by tomorrow.

So what is real and what is hype?

As a disclaimer let me just say that tooth whitening can be accomplished successfully with ANY of these methods and that the following is based on fact with my opinion thrown in for flavor.

There are basically 3 ways to whiten your teeth.

#1 With the whiteners you buy in the stores.

This includes strips, trays, paint on stuff, etc.

Couple of things to consider here. The strength of the bleach has to be over the counter strength which is going to be less then bleach you can get form your dentist. Its like buying Tylenol from the store vs getting Lortab from the dentist. Next is the way the bleach is delivered. Below is a picture of a bleaching strip. Since this strip is sold to everyone, it then by nature, fits no one. Administering bleach to the masses can be a very inexact science that could lead to burned gums or uneven bleaching of the teeth.

#2 Is custom trays made by your dentist and you do the bleaching at home.

This way of bleaching has a lot of up side.

First the strength of bleach is prescription strength which will allow you to bleach faster. Second while bleaching faster it is still slow enough to stop when you begin feeling too much sensitivity. Lastly the trays are made specifically for you. They will fit no one else and thus deliver the bleach right to where it is needed.

#3 In office light whitening.

This option is nice because it is the fastest. But there are some draw backs. The machines to do the bleaching are expensive so the cost must be passed on the the patient. Next, you can't stop bleaching when you begin to feel sensitive. You will lay back being one shade and be several shades lighter when you sit up. If you happen to have lightened up too much and your teeth are very sensitive to even breath you are kind of out of luck.

So again, there are probably many of you reading this that have gotten your teeth whitened by any of the ways just mentioned and it has worked well for you. And that is great. I personally have chosen to offer only the 2nd option in my office as I feel it is the best bang for the buck and offers the least chance of complications for my patients.

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How do you tell someone they are old?

Almost everyday I have to tell someone, that has

never had a cavity, that they have a cavity.

Many of these people are in the 50's or 60's.

They spend lots of time brushing and flossing and have never had a

cavity and don't understand how they now are getting cavities when

they are doing the same things that they have always done to keep their teeth clean.

At this point I have to be very diplomatic.

The simple answer is...... you are getting older.

As we age things will begin to break down.

These people have no problem accepting that their eyesight isn't what is used to be.

Or that their hearing may be a little worse then it was when they were younger.

But for some reason, the fact that their teeth are also wearing down is a new concept.

Every part of our bodies will break down over time.

Teeth will follow right along with the rest of it.

The forces of a lifetime of chewing mixed in with the fact that salivary flow

rates decrease as we age (thus less protection for our teeth) means that

an increase in cavities over time is almost inevitable.

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Do you have bad breath?

What is the cause of bad breath??

There are many causes.

Teeth that are decayed.

Gum disease.

Bacteria.

Digestion problems.

Etc.

One of the first things to do in order to determine the cause of your

bad breath is to get to a dentist and get a good cleaning.

This will make sure you start off with a clean slate.

Then.....

For 2 weeks commit to brushing after each meal.

For 2 weeks commit to flossing daily.

And for 2 weeks commit to rinsing with a mouthwash such as Listerine, daily.

(Important note: You also need to brush your tongue.

Tongue scrapers, pictured below, are also available.)

After the 2 week period see how your breath is.

If it still smells as fresh and clean as it did when you left the dentist office

then your bad breath was, more then likely, a result of poor oral care.

This would be good news because all you need to do is continue

your new pattern of brushing, flossing, and rinsing and your bad breath should be history.

If things return to there normal, bad breath, state then other things need to be considered.

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Closed the gap.

Hey everybody.

This is Jeff.

Jeff is one heck of a guy.

He is married to one heck of a woman.

And has some great kids.

Only problem Jeff had was a gap in his teeth.

(That, and pigeons in his chimney. But that's another story.)

Anyway, we got Jeff in today to close the gap in his teeth.

No need for braces.

No need for shots.

Cheap as fillings.

Done in about an hour.

Totally reversible. 

Jeff Before

Jeff after.

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Cosmetic Bonding

This is Ms B.

Like many people, there was something about Ms B's 

smile that she did not like.

She thought, as many folks do that the fix for her problem

would be a very expensive and painful process.

As it turns out, neither was true. 

Ms. B underwent some cosmetic bonding  today.

No shots

About an hour.

All for the cost of a few fillings.

Ms. B Before

Ms B After

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Cosmetic Bonding - Before and After

Cosmetic bonding is such a wonderful treatment.

Things that people have been dealing with for years can

be corrected in a matter of minutes without any shots and 

at relatively low cost when compared with the alternatives.

This is Nancy.

Nancy had always hated the gaps in her front teeth.

Nancy has 3 kids and did not want to go through braces.

She also did not want to spend gobs of money on crowns or veneers.

So we did a procedure called cosmetic bonding.

Cosmetic bonding simply means placing a small white filling

on the side of each tooth that makes up the gap.

The fillings simply glue on, like all other fillings, 

and are very durable.

Nancy Before.

 Nancy After

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What kind of teeth bleaching is right for me?

Teeth whitening is a very hot topic these days.

It seems as though everybody and their dog is offering to have your

teeth whitened for life, by tomorrow.

So what is real and what is hype?

As a disclaimer let me just say that tooth whitening can be accomplished successfully with ANY of these methods and that the following is based on fact with my opinion thrown in for flavor.

There are basically 3 ways to whiten your teeth.

#1 With the whiteners you buy in the stores.

This includes strips, trays, paint on stuff, etc.

Couple of things to consider here. The strength of the bleach has to be over the counter strength which is going to be less then bleach you can get form your dentist. Its like buying Tylenol from the store vs getting Lortab from the dentist. Next is the way the bleach is delivered. Below is a picture of a bleaching strip. Since this strip is sold to everyone, it then by nature, fits no one. Administering bleach to the masses can be a very inexact science that could lead to burned gums or uneven bleaching of the teeth.

#2 Is custom trays made by your dentist and you do the bleaching at home.

This way of bleaching has a lot of up side.

First the strength of bleach is prescription strength which will allow you to bleach faster. Second while bleaching faster it is still slow enough to stop when you begin feeling too much sensitivity. Lastly the trays are made specifically for you. They will fit no one else and thus deliver the bleach right to where it is needed.

#3 In office light whitening.

This option is nice because it is the fastest. But there are some draw backs. The machines to do the bleaching are expensive so the cost must be passed on the the patient. Next, you can't stop bleaching when you begin to feel sensitive. You will lay back being one shade and be several shades lighter when you sit up. If you happen to have lightened up too much and your teeth are very sensitive to even breath you are kind of out of luck.

So again, there are probably many of you reading this that have gotten your teeth whitened by any of the ways just mentioned and it has worked well for you. And that is great. I personally have chosen to offer only the 2nd option in my office as I feel it is the best bang for the buck and offers the least chance of complications for my patients.

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Most fun part of my job.

Doing these kinds of cases is a really fun part of my job.

The patient went through an initial cosmetic bonding process in the 70's.

Since then the bonding has discolored and chipped.

He decided it was time for a change.

Before

Half way there.

After!!

Helping people feel great about their teeth is something that I love to do.

This is all bonding.

No Shots.

No pain.

Same cost as fillings.

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Before and After

This is one of the largest "gap closure" cases that I have done.

The patient, like most of us, is worried about her funds.

Braces, bridge work, and veneers were not an option.

We were able to close the front 2 teeth and build up the side tooth a little.

The other side tooth is missing and we have other plans for that.

Before

After

About 1 hour on this case.

No shots.

No drilling on the teeth.

Patient was very happy with result.

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Cosmetic Bonding

This was one of the more challenging cosmetic bonding cases that I have done.

Some teeth that we bond are slightly tilted.

Some are slightly rotated.

Some are too long or too short.

This tooth is rotated 90 degrees.

Meaning the tooth is turned completely sideways.

The bonding was tough because the proportions are off due to the rotation.

However, The patient was very happy with the result.

She was told that expensive braces was her only option.

Turns out 30 minutes in the chair.....

no shots

no drilling

and the cost of a filling later she looked like this.

This is simply filling material and it can be done in lots and lots of cases.

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Ashley, Cosmetic bonding

This is Ashley.

Ashley's two front teeth have bothered her in the past.

They were flared slightly outward and a little longer then she wanted.

Ashley heard of cosmetic bonding and wanted to know if it was for her.

The answer was a resounding, YES!

No shots

Do drilling into her teeth

40 minutes of time in the chair

All for the cost of 2 fillings

Let us know if we can help you.

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