Our Dental Blog

People often ask me, "What is a veneer?" They have heard of them but they are not really sure what it actually is so I asked Dr. Bufo to explain (because he is so good at that)! Here's what he had to say...


"A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that can be bonded to a tooth to change the shape, color or position of the tooth. We can make discolored or yellow teeth bright white again. We can make chipped, worn or unsightly teeth look brand new again. And we can take teeth that are crowded or that have excessive spaces or gaps look like you had braces instantaneously".


"Veneers generally take two visits to complete. At the first visit the teeth are prepared to make room for the porcelain restorations. A small amount of tooth is removed to make room for the porcelain that will be bonded to the tooth. This is to make sure the new veneered tooth does not look bulky when the layer of porcelain is added".


"At this visit impressions are taken. In our office, a temporary set of veneers is created right in the office so you never have to go out without your teeth looking great. The temporary veneers are just exactly like the permanant porcelain veneers they are just made from a different material. They are a “trial smile”and any changes can be made before the actual porcelain veneers are created. The temporary veneers are worn for about 1-2 weeks. At this time the final porcelain restorations are returned from our ceramist and the temporary veneers are removed. After bonding the veneers to the teeth, you can treat them like natural teeth again".


One of the things I like to point out to patients about veneers is that they never stain because they are porcelain. By working carefully together Dr. Bufo and our master ceramist make veneers that are beautiful and very natural looking. One comment I have heard from my patients many times is, "I wish I had done it sooner".


If you have any questions about traditional veneers or no-preparation Lumineers call me and I will be happy to answer your questions. 207-510-6700.
gretchen

Kristy Bomba-Turin was the winner of our Invisalign Summer Special. Kristy's name was drawn from all those participating during July and August for $2000 towards her Invisalign invisible orthodontic treatment. Congratualtions Kristy!

gretchen

Here is a great article...I found it on AOL today. It is common to think of dentistry as a commodity or something you might buy at a big box store like Walmart. But health care is not a commodity. You have a choice in the quality of the care you receive and that's what makes our office different. Please read...educated patients are always our best patients!

gretchen

Finally, my very first blog... I have been on a long 4 day trip-Newark, Philadelphia and DC. I thought I would get to this sooner but airline travel is tough and I haven't had time to do much more than sleep on my layovers.

Last week I posted some pictures on Facebook of a Zoom Whitening I had done and was very proud of. My patient was thrilled-5 shades whiter. She looked great and was so happy that I wanted to talk about it in my blog. People ask me about teeth whitening all the time. When flight attendants find out I am also a dental hygienist it's usually the first thing they ask about. Do you do whitening? How long does it last? Is it ok for your teeth? Let me tell you...

In my office we have three types of whitening for our patients. The first option is Home Whitening. With this type of teeth bleaching we make custom trays from impressions we take of your teeth. Nite White gel is placed in the trays and worn on the teeth at night while you sleep for about 2 weeks. Patients who prefer not to sleep with the trays in can wear them during the day. Whitening works just as well if you leave the trays in for a few hours each day. Either way, the result is as good as in-office whitening. Teeth generally become several shades whiter, it just takes longer.

The second type of whitening is ZOOM in-office whitening. I have to tell you this is my favorite, I think because it is immediate. With Zoom whitening we use a special light and the whitening process only takes 45minutes. The whole appointment is about 2 hours in the office. Zoom is basically a jump start on whitening that would normally take 2 weeks. It's perfect for people who don't have the time to whiten at home, can't be bothered wearing anything on their teeth at night or who have a special event-like a wedding. You can expect to see teeth to become 4-9 shades whiter after Zoom. I love doing it!

The last type of whitening is unique to our office. I don't know of any office in our area who offers it. It is called Extreme Whitening, also known as Deep Bleaching. We choose this type of whitening for one of two reasons. Patients who have tried whitening in the past and experienced sensitivity or those who have very dark stain such as Tetracycline stained teeth. Temporary sensitivity is due to dehydration caused by the gels. Unfortunately it is impossible to predict who will have it. Sensitivity lasts for a short period-generally a few hours. That's why Extreme Whitening is different. The gel is specially formulated so the teeth do not become dehydrated and sensitive patients are better able to tolerate the whitening process. Extreme Whitening consists of 2 in-office visits and whitening with custom trays at home for 2 weeks in-between. The result for patients, even those with very dark stain or enamel is amazing and NO sensitivity.
Teeth Whitening is permanent and would last forever if we never drank coffee or ate food that tends to stain our teeth. That's why I make custom trays for all of my patients, even Zoom patients. If, down the road-3 months, 6 months you decide you need a touch-up you can pop them in overnight and brighten your smile-that's all it takes! If you have any questions feel free to email me GpBufo@aol.com or call Pam to set up an appointment 510-6700. Tell her you read my blog and get $50 off your whitening appointment!
Gretchen

It has been so long since I have blogged, that Gretchen will be taking over our office blogging duties. She is always on her computer and often travels as a flight attendant on the weekends, so she is always looking for something to do while waiting in airports and hotels. And I know she has lots of things on her mind to let our patients know about. Good luck Gretchen and happy blogging.

I can't believe it has been so long since my last blog post. With the snow finally melting and Spring right around the corner, I guess I will try to bring some renewed life to my blog. I hope everyone is having a great St. Patrick's Day! Smile. Spring is almost here!

Good news for all of you who have missed Gretchen over the last year. She is still working for Northwest/Delta Airlines as a flight attendant and enjoying her travels abroad (today she is in Amsterdam), but she now has time to be in the office, again. She doesn't have enough time to be the person to answer the phone everyday, but she will be taking over the dental hygiene duties so you will be seeing her for your recare appointments. Gretchen has been a hygienist for over 20 years and many of you may remember that when the practice first opened, she was the one who did all of your hygiene appointments. I know that most of you will be as happy as I am that she will be back in the office helping out and spreading her enthusiasm and attitude. Welcome back, Gretchen!