Details Matter
We want to provide convenient, complete answers to all of your common
concerns, both when you're in the office as well as when you're at home.
That's why we've provided this list of FAQs, and our corresponding answers.
Of course, if you have questions not listed here, just email or call our
office!
Dr. Britt is highly committed to maintaining a state-of-the-art practice.
This means spending considerable time investing in ongoing education,
keeping herself current on the latest advances in the industry, and attending
hands-on courses to learn specific restorative and cosmetic techniques.
She's also a current and active member of the American Academy of Cosmetic
Dentistry, enabling her to stay up-to-date with the latest advances
in
the specialized aspects of cosmetic procedures. In addition to keeping
up with her own ongoing education, Dr. Britt ensures that our staff
stays
well-versed in the latest techniques required for carrying out our specific
roles.
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Thorough smile analysis helps uncover hard-to-articulate aspects of your
smile, and your feelings about it.allowing us to determine which treatments
or procedures would be most appropriate for creating change. Typically,
analysis involves both emotional questions-- to determine how your smile
affects your self-image, your interactions with others, and your relationships;
and objective questions-to determine what structural/physical aspects
of your smile concern you. You can even try answering these at home before
you visit!
To do an emotional smile evaluation, ask yourself the following
questions:
How do you feel about your smile? Do you love its appearance? Does it
make you feel confident? Or, do you turn away from people while smiling,
or hide your mouth with your hand while talking? Do you cover your smile
with your lips, or refrain from letting yourself smile fully in front
of others? Do you close your mouth to smile for pictures? Do you hold
back your true laugh so that your smile won't show? Are you embarrassed
by the condition of your teeth, or by the length of time that's passed
since you've seen a dentist? Have you ever wished that you had someone
else's smile? How would a new, beautiful smile make you feel about yourself
and about life? What would you like to change about it in order to make
it seem 'beautiful' to you?
To do an objective smile evaluation, stand in front of a mirror
using your normal smile. Now, think of something truly funny, and give
yourself a big, laughing smile. If you're unhappy with your smile or your
teeth, you probably don't use that smile very often. But, you could freely
use such a contagious, happy smile if you felt confident about it! So,
ask yourself the following questions:
What color are your teeth-white, yellow, darkened, or badly stained?
Are there spaces or missing teeth anywhere? Are any teeth crooked, uneven,
or out of alignment? Do they slant one way or the other? Do the biting
edges of your upper teeth follow your lips' curvature? Are the edges even
with each other, or are some too long or too short? Do the edges of your
canine teeth look too long, sharp, or out of line? Do you grind your teeth?
Are the edges chipped or worn? Are any teeth too short, fat, small, or
large? Does the midline of your two front teeth center with your face
and nose? Does your smile show too much gum, thick gums, receding gums,
puffy gums, or uneven gums? Do you have silver/mercury fillings in any
teeth? Do you have old, unnatural-looking crowns with darkened edges?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you'll be happy to know
that we have answers for you. Read more about our services, or contact
us today to share your answers with us, and obtain our professional evaluation.
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Smile Design involves several important steps. After an initial smile
analysis, we conduct a consultation using digital imaging to preview exactly
what your desired final smile can look like. After we all agree upon the
final objectives, we create a treatment plan to accommodate those goals-some
involving several lengthy appointments, some requiring much less time.
In any case, we strive to create a smile that accurately conveys your
unique personality, in keeping with your gender, age, and facial features.
When we're finished, the new restorations will be undetectable.all that
you'll see is a healthy, happy new smile that won't quit.
This kind of Smile Design is simple to explain, but extremely technical
to perform. That's why it's so critical to choose a professional dentist
such as Dr. Britt, who has obtained advanced training in the latest techniques
and materials of restorative and cosmetic dentistry. In fact, Smile Design
isn't taught in dental school, but requires post-graduate training, extensive
hands-on experience, and incredible dedication to confidently apply both
the artistic and scientific knowledge involved in successful, lasting
smile work.
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Tooth whitening is one of the simplest, safest kinds of cosmetic dentistry
available today. At our office, we offer two methods, both using the revolutionary
ZOOMŪ treatment. If you'd like to obtain up to 8 shades of whitening in
just one hour, you may elect to undergo this treatment in our office;
or, if you prefer a take-home kit, we offer the new three day ZOOM 'Weekender'
kit-- using the same patented ingredients and usually resulting in about
a 6 shade improvement.
Remember, it's important that we have a brief consultation prior to your
choosing a whitening system, since some people are better candidates than
others for the treatment. For example, if your teeth are darkened to a
yellow, brown or orange tinge due to age, coffee, tea, or smoking, chances
are very good that teeth whitening will bring lasting, satisfactory results.
However, if your teeth are a dark gray tone from fluorosis or tetracycline
use, whitening results may be a bit less dramatic; further, whitening
does not lighten resins, silicants, porcelains or other synthetic materials.
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Dr. Britt has a number of ways to improve the look of your front teeth
without the use of braces. For slightly crooked or unevenly worn teeth,
a bit of reshaping and the addition of porcelain veneers may be sufficient
to give them a bright, uniform look. In more pronounced cases, it may
be necessary to refer you to an orthodontist who specializes in 'invisible
braces'. We'd be happy to talk with you further about the option that
best suits your individual situation.
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We understand that people have qualms about having their teeth worked
on, so we strive to create a relaxing atmosphere. First, our entire staff
is trained to be alert and aware of your concerns, so that we can make
your visit as comfortable as possible. Second, we've included a number
of entertaining distractions to help you enjoy yourself during your treatment.including
watching your favorite DVD with virtual reality glasses, listening to
your favorite music, and relaxing with an in-chair back massage. For procedural
concerns or anxiety, we can also provide nitrous oxide as needed to help
you undergo the treatment itself. During your first appointment, we'll
spend plenty of time going over such concerns with you, then plan your
treatments accordingly!
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With today's technology, materials, and advanced techniques, we have
many options for restoring weak, broken, chipped, discolored, and/or
missing
teeth.bringing your smile back to its original shape and function. For
example, we can apply an all-porcelain crown, somewhat like a 'cap',
to
cover the entire outside of the problem tooth. Crowns are also helpful
to cover large areas of decay after they've been filled. Or, for smaller
areas of decay, we can apply all-porcelain onlays or inlays. similar
to crowns, but retaining more natural tooth structure. For unattractive
front
teeth, we can create pretty, natural shapes and shades by applying paper-thin
porcelain veneers to the fronts. For patients who are missing a number
of front/side teeth, we can create a removable partial denture, designed
for either the upper or lower jaw, made of all acrylic or all metal.
They're
attached to existing teeth by means of precision acrylic clasps, and
must be removed for cleaning after eating, as well as for sleeping.
For more
information on any of these procedures, please feel free to talk with
Dr. Britt during your visit.
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Millions of people struggle with halitosis, or bad breath, despite daily
teeth brushing. Here's a checklist of procedures that can eliminate the
problem: twice daily brushing, daily flossing, and tongue cleaning; regular
professional cleanings, and careful cleaning of any dentures or removable
dental appliances. However, if your hygiene is meticulous and the problem
persists, we can offer several solutions. First, we can provide a special
breath kit made by Breath Rx. This kit includes a plastic tool called
a tongue scraper that cleans away bacterial build-up on your tongue ten
times more effectively than just brushing your tongue.it also significantly
alleviates odor. The kit also includes a toothpaste, rinse and portable
mouth spray containing an ingredient designed to actually destroy the
odor-causing sulfides that cause bad breath.
Of course, if we suspect a systemic or internal problem such as an infection
or underlying condition, we may recommend a visit with your family physician
or specialist to identify and treat the cause.
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We offer several types of payment options: cash, check, Visa, MasterCard,
or American Express. If you desire to set up an easy payment plan for
more extensive work, we encourage you to obtain interest-free financing
through Dental Fee Plan.
We are pleased to offer Dental Fee Plan (DFP) to our patients. DFP is
a convenient, no initial payment, low monthly payment plan for dental
treatments of $1,000 to $25,000. Offering DFP allows us to make the smile
you've always wanted affordable.
For those patients who desire to pre-pay
their fees, we also extend a courtesy discount. When you come in for
your consultation, we'll discuss your payment preferences as they pertain
to
your particular treatment plan options.
CareCredit is a flexible patient/client payment program, specifically designed for healthcare expenses, that makes it easier for you to get the treatment or procedures you want and need. CareCredit is ideal for co-payments, deductibles, treatment and procedures not covered by insurance, and can be used at over 45,000 practices nationwide. Click here for more information
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We're happy to accept referrals from other dental offices as well as
from recommendations by our patients to their families and friends.
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