2010 March | Cosmetic and Invisalign Dentistry | Blog

Archive for March, 2010

Enhancing Your Smile With Veneers

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Veneers have been used by Phoenix dentists for decades to alter the look of their patients’ teeth. They were originally introduced in the early 1900’s as a costuming tool for actors. At the time, they were perfect for changing one’s appearance for a film role because they were only temporarily bonded to the teeth. Today’s veneers are much more permanent, but they serve the same purpose as they did back then. They enhance, improve, and restore your smile so you can look and feel your best.

When a Phoenix patient gets veneers, there is no need for a change in dental hygiene. Regular brushing and flossing, along with scheduled cleanings, is sufficient maintenance. Your teeth might be more sensitive to heat and cold, though, because part of the tooth enamel must be removed before traditional porcelain restorations can be placed. This is, of course, not a concern with DURAThin veneers, which can be adhered to the teeth without previously removing any enamel. However, with both traditional porcelain and DURAThin, the color of the restoration is permanent. If you wish to whiten your teeth at a later date, the veneer will retain its original color while the rest of your teeth become brighter. You have two options in this situation. First, you can have your teeth whitened before your restoration is made. That way you know it will match your smile. Second, you can wait until you want to have your teeth whitened and replace your current restoration with a new one that matches better. This is a more costly option in the long run, since you are paying for two veneers instead of just one; receiving whitening treatments first might be a wise investment.

Schedule a consultation at Harris Dental in Phoenix to learn more about veneers and how they will work for you.

Posted in cosmetic dentistry, porcelain veneers, smile makeover, teeth whitening | No Comments »

Pros and Cons of Invisalign

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

People in Phoenix want to be as informed as possible when making decisions about something as important as their smile. That includes knowing the advantages and disadvantages of any cosmetic dental procedure you are considering. Phoenix patients who are considering Invisalign should know what to expect before making that commitment.

You probably already know that Invisalign is great for cosmetic reasons. Because the aligners used to straighten your teeth are transparent, they are not nearly as noticeable as traditional metal braces. Invisalign allows you to correct the alignment of your teeth discreetly. The aligners are also smooth, making them much gentler on your mouth than traditional braces, which can rub and even cut your lips and tongue. They put less pressure on your teeth, usually causing fewer headaches and sore jaws than fixed appliances do.

Because you can take the aligners out, you don’t have to avoid sticky foods like wearers of traditional braces do, which is nice. However, the aligners must be removed every time you eat, and you should brush your teeth and clean your aligner before replacing it after a meal. This can become inconvenient, especially if you like to eat out. If you aren’t careful, you may even misplace your aligner. And the longer you leave your aligner out, the less chance it has to do its job. Metal brackets and wires continually act on your teeth to correct their alignment; every time you take out your aligner, the correction process stops and can even be reversed. This could cause your treatment to go off schedule, and new aligners may be needed to compensate for the change. If you choose Invisalign, you must be one hundred percent committed to wearing your aligner as often as possible.

If you think Invisalign is right for you, call Harris Dental in Phoenix to schedule a consultation.

Posted in Invisalign, cosmetic dentistry, smile makeover | No Comments »

Whiten your teeth, help a child

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Smiles for Life How often do you get the opportunity to help other people by doing something great for yourself? Not very often, right? Well here’s your chance! Right now you can make a huge difference in the lives of children in our community and around the world just by getting your teeth whitened.

Starting this month and continuing through June, Harris Dental will be participating in the Smiles for Life Campaign. Our team of experienced cosmetic dentists is offering professional teeth whitening services at a greatly reduced cost to you. During the campaign, 100 percent of the funds raised at Harris Dental will be donated to children’s charities. Half will be presented to a local charity here in Phoenix; the rest will be given to the Smiles for Life Foundation to distribute to other worthy causes.

The Smiles for Life Foundation is a charitable program created and run by the Crown Council, an association of some of the top dentists in North America. The campaign spans a four month time period each year. When it is over, all of the proceeds are donated to children’s charities across the United States and Canada. Since the first campaign in 1998, the Smiles for Life Foundation has been able to raise over $27 million, benefitting nearly 500 charitable organizations, including St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Children’s Miracle Network, Smiles for Hope, the Kids Cancer Care Foundation, and more.

How does it work? The entire Harris Dental team is donating all of our services during this campaign. Additionally, all the products that will be used to whiten your teeth have been graciously provided by Discus Dental. That means every penny earned will go toward helping seriously ill, disabled, and underprivileged children here in Phoenix and across the globe.

If you would like to participate, all you need to do is contact us to schedule a free teeth whitening consultation. At that time, we will take a few minutes to determine if you are a good candidate for a whitening procedure. Then we can get started on brightening your smile right away.

Not only are the professional teeth whitening services offered here at Harris Dental in Phoenix fast, easy, and comfortable, but now you get the added benefit of knowing you are helping a child in need. Whitening your teeth has never felt better!

Even if you’ve already had your teeth whitened, you can still contribute by giving someone else the gift of a brighter smile. Either call our office to arrange for a friend or family member to receive a professional teeth whitening as a gift from you, or simply pass the word along to everyone you know. The more awareness we create about Smiles for Life, the more money we can raise to help the children.

Call us today at 602-955-8600 to schedule your appointment and make a difference in the life of a child.

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Becoming a Cosmetic Dentist

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Some people in Phoenix might wonder how a person gets into cosmetic dentistry as a career. The pursuit this profession begins with obtaining a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Many Phoenix residents who intend to have a career in cosmetic dentistry will choose a science based major, such as biology or human anatomy, while others lean more toward other fields, such as psychology, nutrition, or engineering. Whatever major they choose, future dental students should take pre-dental courses (including chemistry, biology, and physics) in order to prepare for and be accepted by the dental school of their choice. They will also be required to take an entry exam called the DAT (dental admissions test) before they can apply for dental schools. Good grades and a high score on the DAT are important, since dental school admissions can be very competitive. Once accepted to dental school, a new student will spend at least four years learning about dentistry (cosmetic and otherwise) and medicine, both in a classroom setting and through hands on clinical training. After such rigorous training, students will then take a licensing exam. They may also be required to take an ethics exam before being allowed to practice cosmetic dentistry in the state of their choice. If they pass both of these tests, students receive licensure to begin working in their chosen field of study.

Drs. Joseph, Brian, Eric, and

Scott Harris of Harris Dental in Phoenix each attended the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry to receive their D.D.S. (Doctor of Dental Surgery) degree. The doctors continue to increase their knowledge about cosmetic dentistry through joining certain dental organizations, taking continuing education classes, and receiving specialized training. You can read more about Drs. Harris under the “Our Team” link on our website.

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Dental Implant Vocabulary

Monday, March 1st, 2010

When Phoenix residents choose to get dental implants, they may not always know what their dentists are talking about when they throw out terms like “osseointegration” or “bone graft.” Here are some important definitions to help you better understand your dentist when discussing dental implants.

Bridge: A bridge is a group of several artificial teeth that are connected to one another. If a Phoenix patient wants to replace or restore a group of teeth, the use of a bridge is usually recommended. This way several teeth can be attached to a smaller number of implanted roots.

Bone Graft: Occasionally a patient will not have enough healthy bone in his or her jaw to support dental implants. When this happens, the patient will need to receive a bone graft. It is a type of transplant, where additional bone (synthetic or natural) is surgically connected to the existing bone to create a more stable foundation for the implant.

Osseointegration: The prefix “osseo” means “bone,” so when we talk about osseointegration, we are referring to something—in this case a titanium screw—being integrated or included into a bone. Bone can grow so closely around titanium that they actually merge together. This is what makes your dental implants permanent.

Restoration: Sometimes when we talk about artificial teeth, we call them restorations. And that is essentially what they are: something to restore your teeth to their most beautiful state.

Titanium: Most metals do not fuse well with living bone tissue. Titanium does. In fact, it fuses so well that it effectively becomes a part of the bone that would be extremely difficult to remove. Titanium is an excellent material to use to create strong roots for individual restorations and bridges.

Harris Dental is proud of the quality implant dentistry work we have done for our patients in the Phoenix area, but don’t take our word for it, read what our patients have to say by visiting our testimonials page. Find out more about dental implants by calling Harris Dental in Phoenix today!

Posted in dental implants, restorative dentistry | No Comments »