Although tooth whitening procedures have come a long way in the past couple of decades, to really get the straight, white, perfect teeth that you see on every starlet in Hollywood, you will need to think about getting porcelain veneers.
These are also called laminate porcelain dental veneers, and they are wafer thin chips of porcelain that are bonded directly to your teeth.
They not only are able to give a whiter smile, but they can also fill in gaps between teeth, cover chips, and completely mask stains in a way that no other cosmetic dental procedure can do.
These can be put into place by your general dentist or a specialty cosmetic dentist.
There are a number of benefits to choosing porcelain veneers over other types of whitening or bonding procedures.
Some other options to covering damaged, chipped or stained teeth is to use dental bonding or put a dental crown in place.
However, veneers tend to look more natural, last longer than bonding, and require far less preparatory time than dental crowns.
In most cases, you will simply need to have them applied directly to the teeth for best results.
While dental whitening procedures are capable of providing dramatic results, they don't last, particularly if you drink coffee, red wine, soda, and other substances of this nature.
Veneers, by contrast, are completely stain resistant so there's no need to change your lifestyle to have perfect teeth.
The procedure of putting porcelain veneers into place will depend on the severity of your tooth imperfections.
The first step for any procedure is to have a thorough consultation and cleaning with your dentist.
During this stage, you will discuss your goals and have the procedure thoroughly explained to you.
The dentist will examine your teeth, to see where the veneers should be put into place.
In some cases, there will be some preparatory work needed, which could include shaving off small parts of your teeth to make room for the veneer.
The dentist will make a mold of your teeth, and send this to a laboratory so that custom-fitted veneers will be made for you.
Finally, the veneers can be bonded directly to your teeth.
This involves the use of a light cement agent.
The dentist will need to check the porcelain veneers carefully to make sure that the fit and color is just right.
Some patients want blindingly white teeth, while others prefer a more natural look.