Many patients come in to our Elmhurst dentist office wanting to alter multiple aspects of their smiles. The truth is that most of us can’t achieve the smile of our dreams with a simple cleaning! If you’re pursuing cosmetic dentistry treatments, it’s important to think about the order in which you’ll complete your different treatments. In general it makes sense to complete dental treatments in this order…
Cleaning and Exam
It’s important to start treatment with a thorough cleaning and exam. You want to make sure that your teeth are healthy enough to undergo cosmetic treatment—when your dentist assesses your smile he or she will let you know if you need any restorative work prior to cosmetic dentistry treatments.
Structural Cosmetic Changes
The next step is to perfect the overall structure of your smile. So if you want to straighten your teeth, change your bite, or close gaps in your smile, this is the time to do it. Common treatments to achieve structural changes include orthodontic treatments, dental veneers, and dental implants. We can help you determine what kinds of treatments will be most effective for you, depending on your health and aesthetic goals.
Whitening
Usually, the last step in comprehensive cosmetic treatment is dental whitening. Once your smile is straight and seamless, you can whiten and brighten your smile with professional teeth whitening treatments.
Sometimes, you’ll receive teeth whitening treatment before you have veneers or dental implants placed. This is because veneers and dental implants are not responsive to whitening treatments—you need to whiten your natural teeth first, and then have your restorations shaded to match your natural teeth.
Determining a logical sequence of cosmetic treatments will ensure that you end up with perfected teeth that actually make you want to smile! Our Elmhurst cosmetic dentist office can give you more information and help you visualize your dream smile—give us a call to schedule your consultation!