Haight Street Dental is known for providing state-of-the-art smile makeovers. Our experienced cosmetic dentists are adept in the latest dentistry techniques, and he utilizes high-tech equipment to accommodate many procedures you request. Often, our patients desire a combination of several cosmetic dentistry procedures to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing results. This may include complementing Invisalign^® orthodontic treatment with a Zoom!^® tooth whitening technique, or perhaps sculpting the gums and placing a beautiful set of porcelain veneers. Whatever your preferences may be, our staff is happy to work with you to develop a treatment plan that meets your needs and aesthetic goals.

The first step in a smile makeover is a consultation. Doctors  will perform a thorough dental exam to evaluate your oral health and then carefully review any cosmetic concerns you may have about your smile. When patients come us seeking a dental transformation, they are commonly interested in resolving the following types of aesthetic issues to achieve an enhanced smile:

• Chipped, cracked, worn, or broken teeth
• Misaligned or crowded teeth
• Stained or discolored teeth
• Missing teeth
• Gaps between teeth
• An uneven gumline

Haight street dental can correct any or all of these issues by customizing a smile makeover treatment plan that combines the right procedures and treatments to give you a healthier, more beautiful smile. Using an advanced computer imaging system, he can create a redesigned image of your current smile to show you the kind of results you may be able to achieve with an individualized treatment plan. Should you decide to proceed with your smile makeover, this computer imagery will serve as the precise model for crafting any restorations or orthodontic devices necessary for accomplishing your goals. Each stage of your treatment will be highly customized and tailored to suit your needs.

Your smile transformation may involve a blend of treatments and procedures to create the ideal smile you are seeking. During your consultation, Doctors will discuss which smile enhancements he thinks may deliver the best results. Depending on the type and complexity of your dental challenges, he may suggest one or several of the following procedures to accomplish a comprehensive smile makeover:

• Porcelain veneers
• Dental implants
• Teeth whitening
• Invisalign^®
• Gumline recontouring
• Porcelain crowns

The main goal of a smile makeover is always to improve both the health and beauty of your smile using the highest quality restorations and cosmetic treatments.

Endodontic therapy (root canal therapy) is a sequence of treatments for removing the pulp of a tooth to eliminate infection and protect the tooth from future infection. Without treatment, the infection of the dental pulp will spread to the bone around the tooth and beyond.

Treatment begins with the initial removal of the tooth crown, or top, to allow access to the pulpal tissue. Once the tissue is exposed, the affected area is removed. The area surrounding and containing the pulpal tissue is carefully cleaned, enlarged, and shaped to provide a clean, bondable surface for filling with a permanent filler to prohibit any further infection and discomfort. After filling, a dental crown is fabricated to complete the restoration of the natural tooth. The procedure is generally spread over several visits to assure the infected pulp and associated bacteria have been eliminated.

Dental Implants v. Endodontic therapy

Dental implants offer an alternative to root canal therapy. In some cases dental implant surgery may be preferable and off a more secure anchor for crown replacements. Only a qualified dentist, after examining a patient’s unique condition, can help the patient to decide which treatment is better.

Invisalign

Invisalign® straightens your teeth with a series of clear, virtually invisible custom-molded aligners.

Invisalign™ is the breakthrough technology that lets you have the smile you’ve always wanted, without the hassle of braces.

By using a series of clear, removable Invisalign™ aligners, the dentist straightens your teeth with results you’ll notice sooner than you think. The course of treatment involves changing aligners approximately every two weeks, moving your teeth into straighter position step by step, until you have a more beautiful smile. And unlike braces, these clear aligners can be removed while you eat and brush your teeth.

An average Invisalign™ course of treatment takes about a year. You’ll see us 6 to 8 weeks for adjustments and to check progress. At regular intervals, you’ll receive a new set of custom-molded clear aligners to continue the straightening process. The total number of clear aligners is specific to you, determined by your dentist for your course of treatment.

Since Invisalign™ is practically invisible, there’s no unwarranted attention to your mouth. In fact, very few people will notice at all, unless you tell them. Invisalign™ aligners are

Doctors treats each patient as a unique case with personal goals for an attractive healthy smile as a priority in planning his or her dental needs.

We recommend the least-complicated solution to help patients reach their personal smile goals, which they express at their initial consultation. Solutions could involve the use of porcelain veneers and or cosmetic bonding and veneering. Sometimes conservative dental bonding can help the patient achieve their smile goal.

We work with each patient to understand what they do not like about their smile. Do they wish their teeth were longer, shorter, or are the teeth already the length they like, but the individual tooth sizes don’t have balance, or there are unsightly spaces between teeth? Is the smile broad enough to fill the space between the lip corners and the fronts of the back teeth? These are some of the reasons why an individual might choose porcelain veneers to enhance the attractiveness of their smile.

If there is any question at all whether porcelain veneers can solve the problem smile, we can create a model made of wax and either temporarily bond tooth-colored resin to resemble this model or fabricate an overlay of resin material that enables the patient to “field test” the anticipated change to their smile before committing to treatment.

Often, a smile can be improved simply by whitening teeth that have become stained and yellowed over time. In addition to caps and veneers, we offer the most advanced in-office whitening system, utilizing a plasma-arc light, as well as office-assisted at-home whitening.

Patients have different needs and not all teeth respond the same to bleaching.

1. Dental Veneers or laminates offer the ultimate in a permanent solution to achieving the tooth color you desire
2. Office Laser Teeth Whitening provides results (up to 9 color shades of whitening) in a single visit.
3. Home Teeth Whitening achieves similar results over time as Office Laser Whitening, but requires the patient to adhere to a daily routine of wearing the gel trays for 1.5 hours for two weeks.

Both office laser whitening and home whitening results are temporary and require maintenance to keep your beautiful white smile. Both systems are often used together.

Depending on the original shade of the tooth, the patient might prefer treatments other than or in addition to whitening in order to achieve their goal. One alternate treatment would be Dental Laminates / Porcelain Veneers. Each patient’s goals and treatment options may differ, which is why your dental consultation is the most important step in achieving your goal. In your consultation, we will let you know what you can expect from the different treatment options, and which method is most likely to be successful for you.
Your smile is important. It is one of the first things you notice when you meet someone. A whiter, brighter smile is beautiful – it can help you feel better about yourself and make a memorable impression.

Haight Street Dental uses one of the most advanced laser whitening systems available. The Zoom® system provides results that are:

• Fast and convenient
• Long lasting
• Low sensitivity
• Proven to be safe and effective
• Performed by a dental professional

Home whitening involves making a custom-fit mouth tray to hold a special whitening gel around each tooth. The preparation of the custom tray is done by us and we give you the whitening gel agent (several times stronger than an off-the-shelf-brand). With home whitening, you can whiten your teeth up to 9 shades whiter.

Our patients experience about the same results at home as a single-visit office whitening procedure.

Clinical research and studies have shown that tooth whitening, when performed by a dental professional, is a safe, successful way to cosmetically improve the appearance of a smile. Many patients find the shade of their teeth discolored by coffee, wine, cigarettes, medication, or aging, and are looking for a lightening solution. To meet these requests, Haight Street Dental offers several teeth whitening options. Our in-office treatment, Zoom!^®, is an extremely fast and effective alternative to other products that you see on the market. You are probably familiar with the brilliant results produced by Zoom!^® if you’ve watched the ABC^® television show Extreme Makeover. Or, if you would like to lighten your teeth at home, we provide take-home kits with customized trays. These personalized trays can be used alone or after an in-office treatment to maintain those fabulous results

During a Zoom!^® in-office tooth whitening treatment, we typically prepare the teeth with a gentle cleaning, and cover the surrounding gum tissue and skin for protection. We carefully coat the teeth in a hydrogen peroxide-based gel, and then aim a laser light at the teeth. The laser activates the hydrogen peroxide and helps it to penetrate the surface of the teeth. As the hydrogen peroxide breaks up, oxygen enters the enamel and dentin, breaking up stains and bleaching colored substances. The process lasts for about 45 minutes. Our doctors may recommend and supply the Zoom!^® or Nite White^® gel kits for an occasional touch up to keep teeth sparkling white.

You may consider a Zoom!^® tooth whitening treatment for the following reasons:

• Dramatic results in as little as one hour: After only one hour in the dentist’s chair, you will see the shade of your teeth improve considerably – up to eight shades!
• Painless: no drilling, injections, or filing – just a careful application of the gel and the gentle beam of a laser light.
• Relaxing, hands-off process: You can sit back and relax as we apply the bleaching gel and direct the laser light at your teeth.
• Customized specifically for you: We can control the concentration of the gel to suit your needs and your desired results.
• Can be performed as part of a “Smile Makeover“: teeth whitening can emphasize the results of Invisalign^® or another cosmetic dentistry option.

For individuals who prefer to whiten their teeth in the privacy of their own homes, we offer another option: customized take-home trays. The trays are crafted specially for the patient’s mouth, and can easily be filled with the bleaching material for whitening at any hour of the day.

Many patients have questions about teeth whitening treatments we offer, so we have compiled some of the most common inquiries we receive and provided some helpful answers for those considering the procedure.

Are there a differences between over-the-counter teeth whitening products and professional teeth whitening treatments?

While there are over-the-counter whitening products available that can gradually lighten the shade of your teeth, these methods are often less effective and less efficient than professional treatments. The terms used on the labels of over-the-counter products can also be confusing. Products that claim to “whiten” the teeth may only eliminate debris from the tooth’s surface, rather than lightening stains in the enamel. Products that claim “bleaching” properties must contain hydrogen peroxide or another active whitening agent; however, it is important to note that the active bleaching agents used with professional-grade treatments are typically much more powerful due to a higher concentration. This key difference can lead to dramatically whiter and brighter teeth over a much shorter period of time. Patients who choose professional-grade whitening also have the benefit of a dentist’s supervision to help them select a whitening treatment suited to their individual needs.

Am I a good candidate for teeth whitening?

Professional teeth whitening can effectively diminish most types and degrees of dental staining and discoloration. Haight Street Dental recommends that candidates address any pre-existing dental concerns, such as tooth decay or gum disease, before beginning a professional whitening treatment. Patients with severe stains or discoloration that may not respond well to bleaching may achieve better results with porcelain veneers, which can conceal the color of the tooth with a thin shell of porcelain

Is professional teeth whitening safe?

Under the supervision of an experienced dentist, professional whitening treatments can safely brighten your smile. While is is not uncommon experience tooth sensitivity during or shortly after treatment, this side effect is typically mild and dissipates quickly. We often combine teeth whitening with a fluoride treatment for extra protection against tooth sensitivity.

Will teeth whitening change the shade of my crowns, porcelain veneers, or fillings?

Porcelain veneers, crowns, and tooth-colored fillings are not typically impacted by whitening treatments. If you have dental work you are concerned about, your whitening treatment plan can be custom tailored to accommodate any unique challenges for a healthy, natural-looking smile.

How much does teeth whitening cost?

Depending upon which method of teeth whitening you choose, the price for your treatment can vary. At the end of your initial consultation, our treatment coordinator will provide you with a quote based upon your customized treatment plan.