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Water Tower Dental Care's Most Popular Cosmetic Teeth Treatments in Chicago

February 11th, 2016

Water Tower Dental Care's Most Popular Cosmetic Teeth Treatments in ChicagoWhen it comes to your social and professional life, teeth can make a big difference. That’s why we’re focused on making your smile as beautiful as possible. Over the years, we’ve become known as the top cosmetic dentistry in Chicago for our work on pearly whites. Here are a few of our most popular teeth treatments in Water Tower Place, Chicago and why so many people love them.

Invisalign Clear Braces

Traditional braces are so five years ago. But really, why wear annoying, obtrusive and unattractive traditional braces when you can wear invisible braces? Invisalign has become one of our most popular dental treatments because of how easy and transparent it is. Just like traditional braces, Invisalign straightens out your teeth over time. But it does this with clear aligners that can easily be removed whenever you’d like. Learn how Invisalign can fix your underbite too! Take a look at our before and after Invisalign photos here.

Teeth Whitening

There’s a reason most celebrities have shiny white teeth. Whether it makes sense or not, pearly whites make you look young, healthy and successful. We have a ton of patients come through our offices for Zoom! Teeth Whitening because it can make your teeth up to ten shades whiter after just one single one-hour treatment. Fast, effective and long lasting, you can’t beat Zoom! when it comes to teeth whitening. We also offer take home teeth whitening trays if you prefer your couch to the dental chair.
[caption id="attachment_2288" align="aligncenter" width="604"]Water Tower Dental Care Patient After Invisalign, Teeth Whitening and dental veneers A Water Tower Dental Care patient before and after Invisalign, teeth whitening and dental veneers.[/caption]

Dental Veneers

Mask your teeth imperfections with dental veneers! Veneers are so popular because they successfully cover up a variety of different teeth problems, including stains, odd shapes, chips, big spaces, and crooked teeth. Whether Mother Nature didn’t give you the teeth of your dreams, or injury or age has left you with teeth you don’t recognize, veneers can be carefully placed onto your teeth to perfect issues. Check out our before and after porcelain veneers photo gallery!
Carefully designed for your mouth, more permanent porcelain veneers are best for severe dental issues, while minimal prep veneers are the better choice for those who have smaller problems and/or less time. Find out which type of veneer is best for you here.

CEREC One Visit Crowns

Traditionally, it took at least two visits and countless hours to fit, create and place dental crowns. With CEREC One Visit Crown technology, crowns can be perfectly customized and placed to match your teeth in just one hour. You can see why this treatment has become one of our most popular. Take a look at Water Tower Dental patients before and after CEREC One Visit Crowns. Learn more about fixing a broken tooth with CEREC One Visit Crowns here!
These are our most popular cosmetic dental treatments for a reason: they make your smile look better than ever while saving you time! Contact us to learn more about the treatments our office in Water Tower Place, Chicago offers.

What do I do about a chipped tooth?

September 19th, 2013

chipped toothWhether you took a bite into something too hard for your tooth, or took a nasty spill, the potential to crack, fracture or chip your tooth is possible. Thankfully, there are several ways to fix a chipped tooth depending on the severity of the accident.
Chipped teeth come in all shapes and sizes. While the enamel on your tooth is one of the strongest tissues of the body, it still can be broken especially if a tooth already has a good amount of decay. While it's less likely for a tooth to chip from eating, harmful snacks like ice, chewy and hard candy, and popcorn can cause a break. However, it's much more likely you'd receive a chipped or fractured tooth from falling over, playing a sport without a mouth guard, or involving yourself in a rowdy bar fight- all of which we advise you to avoid.

If you do experience a chipped tooth, we recommend you call your dentist right away and get your tooth fixed as quickly as you can. Often a chipped tooth can escalate to further damage, infection, and serious injury.
After an appointment has been set, we recommend covering your chipped tooth with wax paraffin or sugar-free gum to keep the jagged ends from cutting your gums, lips, or cheeks. If the tooth is painful, take an over the counter pain reliever to help minimize the discomfort. A cold press can also help the area from swelling.

Treating Your Chipped Tooth

Fixing a chipped tooth is often a very simple procedure. There are several ways to treat a chipped tooth depending on the severity of the break. While a simple crack or chip can be fixed during an office visit, other cases may need several doctors visit to make sure the tooth is safe from infection and further damage.

Resin Bonding

If only a small chip or break is present on the tooth, resin bonding can be used to repair it. Bonding uses a tooth-colored composite resin that fills the gap in the tooth.
This procedure is rather simple, using a flexible cement-like material; the dentist applies an adhesive material to the tooth then adds the bonding filler. The doctor then shapes the bonding to resemble the missing shape of the tooth. When just right, an ultraviolet light is used to adhere the bonding to the tooth and harden it enough to withstand the daily activities of a tooth.

Cap or Crown

For a more severe fracture, the dentist can choose to use a cap or crown to cover a tooth completely. First, the dentist will grind away a portion of the tooth. Next, they fit a tooth-shaped cap and adhere it to the remaining piece of tooth. If there is minimal tooth left, the dentist may place a post into the root of the tooth to build enough foundation for the cap to be placed on securely. Different materials can be used which usually depend on which tooth is being replaced. For less visible teeth, gold can be used, as it is a stronger material. Porcelain crowns can look much more similar to the original tooth which make them more useful for visible teeth.
In the past crowns could take several visits to complete. At Water Tower Dental Care they can now be completed in one visit with CEREC technology.

Veneers

Minimal Prep Veneers and Porcelain Veneers can be used for front chipped teeth. Similar to a cap, it is an exterior body resembling a tooth that is placed over your teeth. With veneers though, only a small amount of tooth enamel is filed down for the veneer to fit over the tooth. After filing the tooth, the dentist will make an impression of your teeth and color, then have veneers specially made. On a second visit, the veneers are cemented to your teeth.

Root Canals

In most severe cases, a tooth can fracture and expose the center of the tooth where nerves and blood vessels are. This area is known as the pulp and it is very sensitive. If exposed, the pulp can easily become infected. When this happens, the pulp must be extracted through a root canal procedure. The dentist removes the dead pulp and cleans out the emptied area. Next the canal is sealed to prevent future infection. Once sealed, a cap is placed over the remaining tooth.
Most chipped teeth happen from simple accidents. However, tooth decay can weaken a tooth to make it more likely to chip. Proper care and hygiene of your teeth is crucial. If you have any problems with a chipped tooth or would like to keep your teeth free of decay, contact Water Tower Dental to set up an appointment. We'd be happy to help.