River Oaks Dental Arts offers comprehensive care with an emphasis on cosmetic dentistry.
Although we offer general dentistry, Dr. Testa shines in her ability in assisting
the patient in imagining and creating the perfect smile. Besides Dr. Testa's skill,
her attention to detail and the time that she spends with her patients to make sure
that their smile is perfect sets her apart from all other "cosmetic" dentists.
She only offers the highest quality materials, and has hand selected the
labs that aid in the creation of our patient's ideal smile.
At our office, porcelain veneers are not
the only procedure that we consider cosmetic.
Dr. Testa performs all of her treatment from a cosmetic point of view from making
a tooth colored filling look as though it is not even there, to making sure you
look like you just got a tan at the beach and not like you just had your teeth bleached.
Dr. Testa considers cosmetic dentistry as an artwork, hence the name "River
Oaks Dental Arts". The patient's mouth is her canvas, and the patient's desire
is her muse.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are the most common restorations
used to improve someone's smile. With porcelain veneers Dr. Testa can close
gaps, change the color/shade of the teeth, correct mal-alignment issues, and add
length. All of these issues can be improved dramatically because a conservative
amount of tooth structure is removed. The process can take from 3 to 4 appointments.
The first appointment is a consultation in which the patient and Dr. Testa
discuss and plan the ideal smile.
The subsequent appointments that follow
consist of impressions and preparation for the permanent veneers. There is
a period of time in which you wear temporaries to cover the prepared tooth while
the lab makes the veneers. Most dentists use the temporaries for their specific
purpose, covering the prepared teeth, but Dr. Testa uses them as a diagnostic tool.
Dr. Testa sculpts the temporaries to look like your ideal smile to make sure the
changes is exactly what you imagined.
Changes can be made during this stage
and are communicated to the lab so that the permanent veneers are perfect. At
the final appointment the veneers are cemented and all of the patient's desires
for a beautiful smile come to fruition.
Full Porcelain Crowns
Full Porcelain Crowns achieve the same changes
that can be made with veneers. The only difference is the amount of tooth structure
removed. Veneers are more conservative because they are placed over the front
of the tooth. The full porcelain crown covers the whole tooth so tooth structure
is removed not only from the front but also from the back and the sides of the tooth. The
crown can be needed in cases in which decay is involved or if the tooth/teeth are
extremely mal-aligned. So many options make creating a beautiful smile so much
easier.
Full Porcelain Bridges
Full Porcelain Bridges are used when there are
teeth missing in the anterior, or front, of the mouth. Having the option to
use a full porcelain bridge as opposed to a bridge with a metal substructure is
wonderful because the full porcelain has more color variations and looks more life-like. With
any porcelain fused to metal restorations, the grayness of the metal can show through
making it more difficult for the lab to achieve the perfect harmony of color and
shading. |