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Cosmetic Dentistry Frequently Asked Questions
Provided by Dr. Marilyn Calvo of Encino


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What are Porcelain veneers?


In as little as two appointments and two weeks, you can have the smile you have always wanted. Porcelain veneers are a fabulous way to repair or enhance the appearance of your front teeth. They are porcelain facings that are bonded to the front of a tooth with a minimal amount of tooth structure removed. Veneers can be used to whiten teeth, close spaces and crate a great smile. Using veneers, we can even perform virtually "instant orthodontics" to straighten crooked teeth and give you the bright smile you always wanted.


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What do you offer for Teeth Whitening?


Most people would love to smile with confidence knowing that their teeth are white, shiny and healthy looking. Teeth whitening can brighten your entire face. No matter how well you care for your teeth, it is inevitable that over time some yellowing or discoloration will occur.

Professional tooth whitening offers tremendous advantages compare to over the counter home treatments that one may pick up at the pharmacy or from infomercials. Custom tray design and quality materials are the cornerstones of a professional treatment. A good cosmetic dentist has many forms of whitening treatments and can determine which is the best for each individual patient. At Smile Studio LA, we recommend a complimentary consultation before making a choice so that your time and money are well spent.


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What is At-Home Teeth Whitening?


A popular method of whitening teeth is the at-home dentist-supervised option. During your visit to the dentist, a mold is taken of your teeth in order to create a comfortable, customized mouth tray. The tray holds a solution whose main ingredient is carbamide peroxide. This method offers patients the flexibility and comfort of having their teeth whitened in the privacy of their own homes. Patients can choose to wear the mouth tray throughout the night or for stretches of time that last from two to four hours.


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What is ZOOM!© Whitening?


While individual patients respond differently, depending on the degree of previous staining, patients can expect 7 - 8 shade changes in jus tone visit.

The Zoom!© Whitening procedure takes approximately 2 hours. This treatment involves coating the teeth with a past-like form of hydrogen peroxide that gently penetrates the teeth only to remove deep stains and discoloration, while leaving the structure of the tooth unchanged. The gel has been scientifically formulated to be activated by the Zoom! Light.


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What are Porcelain Onlays?


In case of extensive decay or tooth fracture, tooth colored inlays and onlays are often good alternatives to composite fillings offering excellent long term durability7.l These restorations are extremely strong as they are crated in the tooth. Healthy areas are left alone. Onlays leave more of your own natural tooth structure intact than a crown. There is no metal in the restoration to block the reflection of light which allows it to look more natural. Onlays also allow the gum tissue to remain healthier when thre4 isn't any artificial material at the gum line.


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Can you explain Tooth-Colored Fillings?


Years ago, the only option for filling most cavities was the silver or "amalgam" filling. Now, tooth colored materials (composite resins) can make old fashioned and unattractive silver fillings a thing of the past. Unlike porcelain inlays and onlays, tooth colored fillings are done in a single appointment. They are a good way to restore small cavities in teeth. Composite filings are more than just attractive. They contain no mercury and composites also strengthen the remaining tooth structure through a process called bonding. Silver fillings tend to crack teeth. They act like wedges so many of our patients elect to have their mercury silver filling replaced before they break or simply to enhance their teeth and appearance of their smile.


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What is Direct Bonding?


Dr. Calvo both believe in using conservative methods to enhance your smile whenever possible. Direct bonding involves the application of a composite resin material that is sculpted into the desired shape and then hardened with a special light. This technique is ideal for fixing chipped teeth, hiding discoloration on the tooth's surface or reducing the gaps between teeth. It can be used to improve the appearance of one or multiple teeth. Composite resins have the advantage of being able to be completed in one office visit.


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What is an All-Porcelain Crown?


For teeth that are badly damaged, crowns can be an effective treatment option. The crown procedure utilizes tooth shaped coverings to restore strength and eliminate discomfort.

If you ever had the notion that dental crowns look bad and noticeable, then you've never noticed a beautifully crafted all-porcelain crown.

Compared to older porcelain fused to metal crowns, all-porcelain crowns have a natural appearance in terms of color and contours. When a tooth is cracked, decayed, or damaged, a crown may need to be fitted onto the tooth. A crown is a permanent covering that fits over the original tooth. The all porcelain crown are much more aesthetic and do not have the ugly dark line at the gum line. They are permanently cemented onto the tooth and do no come on and off.


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What are Dental Bridges?


A missing tooth is the most obvious dental deformity and often presents the dentist with the biggest technical challenge. At Smile Studio LA, we have had great success in combining the latest advanced materials and tissue management techniques to give our patents the best and most beautiful results possible. New advancements in "metal-free" bridges, implants and adhesion dentistry offer us a variety of treatment options for replacing a missing tooth. The metal free material allows us to give the false tooth a natural translucent appearance. Soft tissue management gives the false tooth the ILLUSION of emerging from the gum naturally, just like a real tooth.


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What are Dental Implants?


Sometimes, permanent teeth are lost due to accident, injury, disease or extraction. In such cases, we often recommend dental implants as a secure, functional replacement option because they do not rely on neighboring teeth for support. Dental implants are small titanium cylinders that are inserted into the jaw bone, where they become fused to the bone. Once they are secured in place, individual artificial teeth are anchored to the implant. Implants can also be sued with a bridge or dentures. You can think of an implant as an artificial root replacement system that has many advantages over the traditional method of simply pulling a tooth and allowing the gums to grow over.


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What is Denture Stabilization with Dental Implants?


Millions of people around the world are missing all their teeth in their upper or lower jaw. Many of them struggle to keep their dentures secure, particularly in the lower jaw. If you are one of them, you already know about the embarrassment of slipping dentures, not being able to eat all the foods that you love and the ineffectiveness of denture adhesives. Fortunately, there is now a way to make your dentures work the way it was intended: stabilization with dental implants.

The benefits of denture stabilization with Dental Implants are:
  • Restores proper chewing, allowing a better diet and improved health.
  • Improves speech and confidence
  • Increases comfort with less irritation of gum tissue
  • Ends the cost and inconvenience of denture adhesives
  • Involves minimally invasive procedure

The use of dental implants to stabilize dentures has proven to be successful for hundreds of thousands of people. The number is growing daily as the word spreads of the effectiveness of this procedure.


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What is Cosmetic Gum Recontouring?


For patients with cosmetic imperfections involving the gums, we can perform recontouring to create a more natural smile line. By recontouring the gums, we are able to correct a smile that shows too much gum or uneven gums. This procedure is often used in conjunction with crowns or veneers, but, in many cases, can be done alone. The cosmetic effects of recontouring can be dramatic!


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What are Instant Orthodontics?


IMAGINE beautiful, straight, white teeth in as little as 2 visits-without braces. Today, with the advancements in adhesive technology, cosmetic dentists are able to place ultra thin customer layered shells of porcelain over teeth to create a smile that everyone will envy. As a result of this technology, we are able to correct mild to moderate crowding of the anterior teeth in this process called Instant Orthodontics.

Patients that decide to do instant orthodontics may have already explored the possibility of conventional orthodontics and have decided that they do not want to spend 2 to 3 years in braces to align teeth only to find that to correct the shape and color, they will still need to do porcelain veneers.

Instant Orthodontics is state of the art therapy for correcting tooth shape, color and incorrect positions of teeth. The advantage of this procedure is that we obtain immediate results. Best of all, it is not necessary to wear braces. Instant orthodontics is designed to be long term and look totally natural.

This procedure is easier than you think! Come into our office and explore the possibilities of having a stunning looking smile in as little as 2 visits.


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What is Full-Mouth Rejuvenation?


Some patients need more than basic restorative work done. Fortunately, Dr. Calvo has advanced training in full mouth restorative care and is able to treat even the most complex cases. As part of her education through the Foundation for Advanced Continuing Education (FACE) and Esthetic Professionals, she has received postgraduate training in the area of full mouth reconstructive care.

Full mouth reconstruction involves a number of important steps, beginning with proper diagnoses. Position of the TMJ, development of the occlusion (bite), correction of the malocclusion, and restoration of the teeth are all pieces in the puzzle of full mouth rejuvenation. Because full mouth reconstructive care often require that a number of procedures be combined, it is important to choose a dentist that is well trained.


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Marilyn Calvo DDS
Smile Studio LA

Office Address:

16311 Ventura Boulevard
Suite 527
Encino, CA 91436
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