Minimally Invasive Dentistry

When thinking about fixing front teeth most people think of words like veneer and crown (or expensive). In reality there are many minimally invasive dental procedures that will correct the aesthetics of a smile that require very little treatment time and cost.  You’ve probably heard of dental whitening, which corrects discoloration from the outside. This type of whitening treatment is great for coffee addicts, soda lovers and tobacco users. Other times teeth may be discolored from physical trauma or an old filling that is leaking around the edges. In these instances the stain originates from within the tooth. The typical outside-in approach to whitening will not achieve an acceptable result. Instead, you must whiten the tooth from the source of the stain, within the tooth. Here is an example of internal staining:

This patient came to our office requesting veneers on her front teeth. After spending time with the patient we discovered that she is very satisfied with the shape and color of the teeth, except for the dark tooth up front. We decided that before we fit her for veneers that she let us try to improve the aesthetics by modifying the internal staining of the tooth. In one very quick appoint we applied minimally invasive dentistry to correct the internal staining. Here is the end result:

Our patient was thrilled with the result and so where we. The only disappointment was that she had lived with such an obtrusive tooth for so long. Had she been offered a solution that included minimally invasive dentistry the problem could have been corrected years ago, instead of delaying treatment while she saved for a mouth full of veneers. Many dentists in Knoxville are proponents of minimally invasive dentistry. If there is a dental issue that you are concerned with do not hesitate to ask what ALL your options may be.