Composite Bonding

Bonding is a common term used for:

• Fixing or repairing chipped or cracked teeth
• Reducing unsightly gaps or spaces between teeth
• Hiding discoloration or faded areas on the tooth's surface

Often used to improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile. As the name indicates, composite material, either a plastic or resin, is bonded to an existing tooth. Unlike veneers or crowns, composite bonding removes little, if any, of the original tooth.

Composite bonding has many advantages:

• It is a quick process, which typically is completed in one visit.
• It may not reduce the tooth's original structure and is relatively inexpensive.
• Composite resins come in many different shades to provide matching of shades to the natural color of your teeth.
• Composite bonds, however, are not as durable and long-lasting as veneers and crowns and may need to be re-touched or replaced in the future.

Composite bonds stain more easily and therefore require proper care and regular cleaning. In order to ensure the longest possible duration of the bonding, composites should be brushed and flossed daily.

Cerinate Lumineers

Lumineers™ by Cerinate available in our office! Lumineers™ can make everyone’s smile more beautiful without removal of tooth structure! Lumineers™ by Cerinate is a painless, permanent cosmetic solution for stained, chipped, discolored or misaligned teeth. Lumineers™ by Cerinate is a porcelain veneer that can be made as thin as a contact lens and is placed over existing teeth without requiring removal of tooth structure, in most cases (unlike traditional veneers).

Clinically proven to last up to 20 years.

• No drilling of tooth structure (in most cases)
  
• No shots (in most cases)
  
• A younger, beautiful, natural-looking smile in only two easy dental visits
  

Whitening

Your teeth will darken over time. Changes in the color of your teeth can be caused by such factors as the food and beverages consumed (like coffee, tea and soda). Other known factors for discoloration may include childhood medications or illnesses, tobacco use or improper oral hygiene. Restoring your natural white smile is a priority for our dental team. We can provide a variety of options for whitening your smile.

Tooth whitening services are growing in popularity, and it's one of the most requested services offered by our practice. Everyone sees the growing consumer market focused on whiter teeth. The reality is that over-the-counter, “too good to be true” solutions typically don't work.

We are trained professionals using industry-approved methods. Our goal is to meet the needs of every patient, and every patient's needs are different.

Nothing improves your appearance more than a Bright, White SMILE! Just ask and we will be happy to explain all your options.

Deep Bleaching

What is it?

Deep bleaching is a technique combining both in-office and at-home whitening processes. This procedure results in the most dramatic color changes possible. At Schaumburg Family Dental Clinic we use the Zoom!® bleaching system.

What happens?

Your first visit will be to take impressions of your mouth so that our lab can custom build the specially designed at-home bleaching trays that you will wear at night while sleeping. The unique design of these trays is critical to the success of your case.

The next appointment, the amazing process begins. An in-office whitening will pre-condition your teeth for the at-home process. This takes about one to one and a half hours. Teeth may become sensitive during this application so it is recommended that you take an Aleve or Advil prior to your visit.

Following the in-office treatment, using ZOOM!® you will wear a take-home bleaching tray. This is worn at night while sleeping for two to three weeks. At the end of this process, you will already see dramatic changes in the color of your smile.

Finally, one more visit to the office for one last in-office bleaching, which will give the color of the teeth their final “pop” in whiteness. The results can be amazing.

Who is it for?

This treatment is for anyone who wants their teeth to be their brightest possible. It is also effective for people with some forms of tetracycline stains or whose teeth have been resistant to color change in typical in-office or take-home whitening procedures.

White Fillings

The concept of a “filling” is replacing and restoring your tooth structure that is damaged due to decay or fracture with a material. We will replace old, broken-down amalgam/metal fillings that contain traces of mercury with white fillings (composites) to restore your smile and teeth to a more natural look and feel.

With today's advancements, no longer will you have to suffer the embarrassment of unsightly and unhealthy silver/mercury fillings or metal margins of the past. Eliminate the dark, black appearance in your teeth with new-age, state-of-the-art, tooth-colored resin or porcelain materials.

Comparing White Fillings (Composites) Versus Silver Amalgam Fillings:

• White fillings bond to the tooth; they strengthen the tooth by restoring most of its original shape. Silver amalgams, on the other hand, weaken the teeth and make them more susceptible to breaking. Broken teeth can be very expensive to replace; white fillings can actually save time and money in the long run.
• White filling composites are preferred by most patients. This is due to the natural color, strength and overall appearance and feel. Composites are naturally more comfortable.
• Hot and cold sensitivity is greatly reduced with composite material compared to the silver/mercury amalgams.
• Restorations with composites require less removal of tooth, less structure to place than those with amalgams and especially with new cavities. Dramatically smaller holes are needed with a composite.

White fillings are healthier because no traces of mercury are used, unlike silver amalgams.