Monthly Archives: December, 2016

Find Your Dental Aesthetic

December 27th, 2016 Posted by Uncategorized No Comment yet

Cosmetic dentist in Walnut Creek offers wide variety of aesthetic services

 

Visiting a cosmetic dentist used to be reserved for the Hollywood elite. Thankfully, over the years, aesthetic services have become incredibly affordable. Patients can visit the team of Walnut Creek Cosmetic to learn about a variety of services that can be performed to enhance the appearance of the smile and address imperfections. Below is a small sample of what Dr. Kevin Ko and his team provide:

 

  • Porcelain veneers – patients interested in addressing defects near the front of the smile can use porcelain veneers. These are ceramic facings custom-made for patients to bond over a tooth and cover it entirely. These restorations can last a decade or longer with proper attention.
  • Porcelain crowns – porcelain crowns are restorations fabricated to cover all visible areas of a tooth. They may be referred to as “caps.” They can either cover imperfections or be used to add an extra layer of protection to a weakened tooth.
  • Dental bridges – bridges are commonly used for replacing one or more teeth within the dental arch. They are fabricated using porcelain and fusing together pontics (false teeth) with dental crowns. A bridge uses the adjacent teeth for support.
  • Teeth whitening – professional teeth whitening has become incredibly affordable, and options available at the dental office far surpass the results achieved with over-the-counter alternatives. Walnut Creek Cosmetic offers both in-office power bleaching and take-home whitening kits with higher concentrations than those available in the local drugstore.
  • Dental implants – implants are a fabulous way for patients to replace a single missing tooth or support a bridge or denture to replace several. Dental implants are titanium posts placed during oral surgery for strength and durability.
  • Dental bonding – composite resin bonding material is perfect for covering imperfections and repairing broken teeth.

 

Dr. Kevin Ko and the team of Walnut Creek Cosmetic offer aesthetic services for patients in and around the community. Whether you are seeking a simple professional teeth whitening or extensive smile makeovers, now is the time to contact our practice to learn more. We are conveniently located at 1181 Boulevard Way, Suite A and can be reached at (925) 934-0192.

When to Consider Gum Contouring

December 22nd, 2016 Posted by Cosmetic Dentistry No Comment yet

Walnut Creek Cosmetic Dentistry

 

Dental cosmetics have more to do with aesthetics and perception than physical wellness, but the impact of our smile as how we view it and how we feel others view it, can improve our confidence, self-esteem, overall stress levels and positively impacts our mental health. One factor of dissatisfaction with ones smile is when there is an excessive display of gums or too little.

Having the optimal gum display can impact your reception of your smile. Too much or too little gum display can be caused by various things. Here are some of them:

  • Tooth Eruption. Sometimes the tooth erupts in a different manner where the gums cover more of the tooth; this makes the tooth look relatively smaller when it is the normal length.
  • Gum Recession. Gum recession is when the gum tissue pulls back from a tooth exposing more of the tooth’s surface.
  • Muscle Movement. A hyperactive muscle reaction can cause your upper lip to move higher showing more of the gum area when you smile. On the contrary, a hypoactive muscle reaction shows less of the gum area.

These causes may be results of an oral health problem, improper dental routines, and genetics or drug side effects. To fix this, one of the options is gum contouring surgery.

 

Gum Contouring Surgery

Gum contouring surgery, also called tissue sculpting or gum reshaping, is a dental procedure that is considered a purely cosmetic one. However, procedures involving gum recession is also a medical procedure. This surgery can be performed by most general dentists and gum specialists with the usage of scalpels, radio surgery, or lasers.

The doctor is required to give an overview explaining the procedure with a visual of how the gum line will be reshaped. Some procedures would require tooth modification as well. It is always best to consult with one to two trusted dentists about your concern with your gums to see if you are a candidate for gum contouring. Looking at the portfolio of the operating doctor can also give you an example of how your surgery may turn out and if that fits your expectation towards the ideal smile you’re going for.