Archive for June, 2009

Dallas veneers dentist, Dr. Sowell attended an Advanced workshop on Lumineers last year. Lumineers for those of you who have not heard is being heavily marketed as a veneer system for people who want to make improvements to their appearance of their smile without reshaping their teeth. For Dallas residents, lumineers dental treatment seems to be an excellent choice, as they do not need to have a shot or wear temporaries while the veneers are being fabricated. It is totally reversible treatment.

These advantages are very appealing. At the Dallas dental practice, it has been seen that Lumineers are stronger than other veneer systems, therefore they can be made as thin as .2mm thick and the bond to enamel is the strongest long-term bond possible. They have an excellent 20-year track record. The only disadvantage is the teeth are .4 mm wider than normal at the gum line and at least .2mm fuller on the lip side. For Dallas patients who want improvement to the smile, but do not want their teeth reshaped, Lumineers are an excellent choice as long as the patient understands there are some compromises and limitations since the resulting teeth are slightly wider and fuller than ideal.

The Dallas dentistry practice has found many of our patients are now using the Crest Pro Health toothpaste. This toothpaste contains the ingredient stannous fluoride, which is different than the neutral fluoride found in most other toothpastes. Unfortunately, stannous fluoride has been found to etch porcelain restorations. Most of our Dallas patients have porcelain crowns, veneers or bonding. The Dallas dental team strongly discourages the use of this product to help preserve the beautiful luster and shine of your porcelain restorations. Also, please know that in our Dallas porcelain veneer dentistry office a separate polishing paste is used for your porcelain restorations. The standard polishing materials are too abrasive to these restorations. The lumineer dentist in Dallas, along with the entire dental staff takes pride in your porcelain veneer investment and wants you to enjoy your smile for a long time.

Not having a white smile can make many people embarrassed about their smile. A beautiful smile has a profound effect on those who see it. One of the ways individuals in Dallas can improve their smile is by teeth whitening. Nobody wants to have stained or dull teeth in an otherwise lovely smile. Use these three methods to whiten your teeth:

Concentrated Peroxide Gel

Your Dallas teeth whitening dentist can provide effective whitening services by applying a highly concentrated peroxide gel to your teeth. Usually the gel only remains on the teeth for 15 minutes. This can be performed in one or more sessions.

Professional At Home Whitening Kits

You can do teeth whitening yourself by using an at home kit you receive from your dentist. These kits also use peroxide gel, but in a lower concentration. The gel must remain on the teeth for an hour or more. The gel is applied using custom trays molded for your mouth.

Whitening Products Sold at Retail Stores

You can also purchase teeth whitening kits and products at retail stores such as drugstores or discount department stores. These are similar to the professional kits, except that the peroxide is in a lower concentration and the tray comes in a single standard size.

Using the above methods to for teeth whitening can be the first step to a lovelier smile. The peroxide gel is a safe and easy way to get whiter teeth. A nice white smile can improve your self-esteem and lead you to reach your potential.

As a Dallas cosmetic dentist, patients often ask me about invisalign. Invisalign is an esthetic clear retainer that is very difficult to detect which is ideal for straightening your teeth. It is made from a cad cam technology and is a series of clear retainers that are changed every 3-4 weeks resulting in sequentially moving your teeth into correct alignment. At our Dallas dental care office, the usual treatment time is 6-12 months. There are some complete cases that they cannot manage and they must be worn 24/7, otherwise it is an ideal system. It is perfectly suited for adults who want their teeth straightened but do not want people to know or be able to see braces.

Many Dallas invisalign patients only want their lower front teeth straighten as they are getting veneer on the upper teeth, in this case the Inman aligner is ideal and only takes 3-6 months. So if you have always wanted to have your teeth straightened and didn’t because you thought you had to go through braces for 2 years, the time in now. Hygiene Hangout As most of you know by now, Annilee and Sejal are no longer part of our team. We are sorry to see them leave but are excited for them as they both start new chapters in their lives. We will be staying in touch with both of them and will keep you all updated on their new journeys. I’m sure most of you are wondering, “Who is this new hygienist?” I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself. I am originally from Lubbock, Texas. I attended Texas Tech University my first two years of college to my prerequisites for dental hygiene school (Go Red Raiders!!!)

In 1999, I moved to Dallas to attend Baylor College of Dentistry’s Dental Hygiene School. I received my Bachelors of Science in Dental Hygiene in 2001. I have now been practicing in private practice for 5 and a half years. I was extremely excited to accept a position from Dr. Sowell in October. It is such an honor to work for someone who has accomplished so much professionally (Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, Fellowship in the International Academy of Dental Facial Esthetics, alumni of the distinguished Pankey Institute, to name a few) One thing that was important to me in finding a new office was a dentist dedicated to giving their patients the best care possible. The only way to achieve this is by attending continuing education courses to stay up to date with the newest research and techniques available. I was excited to know Dallas cosmetic dentist, Dr. Sowell has the same goals. As a matter of fact, Dr. Sowell just took the entire staff to Las Vegas for a 3 day continuing education class on the newest and latest techniques in cosmetic dentistry.

We had an incredible time and are all tremendously eager to incorpate the things we learned into the treatment for our patients. I understand you have all established relationships with Annilee and Sejal through the years. They are very talented and I have gained the utmost respect for them during the short time I had to work with them. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you so far and am looking forward to meeting everyone else. Please know I am available for all of you with whatever you need. Don’t hesitate to call me with the smallest of questions. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season! Melissa Lester, RDH, BS