Cosmetic dentistry at our dental office, located in Southpark Charlotte NC, includes a wide range of dental treatments, such as Teeth Whitening, Deep Bleaching (TM), Porcelain (laminate) Veneers, Porcelain crowns and bridges, Dental Implants. Dr. Charles Payet has extensive training and experience in providing patients beautiful Smile Makeovers for over 10 years.
Before & After Pictures of Another One-Visit Porcelain Crown with CEREC
Interestingly, this porcelain crown was done on the same patient as the last gold onlay that I posted. So why a porcelain crown on this tooth instead of gold? Simple -- this one is more visible in his smile, and he wasn't interested in having "bling" in his smile. LOL Given that strength and durability of his porcelain crown is also very important, as is obvious by his choice of gold for his second molar on the other side, we did use what is currently the strongest porcelain crown available today, whether made by a lab or with our CEREC, and it is called Emax. This ceramic is incredibly strong, far superior to the old Porcelain-Fused-to-Gold (PFM) crowns that have been used for decades. And, of course, we did it in a single appointment. Just to review the advantages of CEREC 3D CAD/CAM Porcelain Crowns, and why we're proud to offer them at our Southpark Charlotte NC dental office: Just 1 Appointment No temporary (provisional) crown No worries about the temporary crown falling off Incredibly strong Very natural-looking and blend in beautifully LESS sensitivity afterward because the tooth is immediately bonded and sealed If you need a crown and are looking for the convenience and excellent result we can provide with our CEREC 1-visit crowns, call us or visit our website: 704-364-7069 Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in Charlotte NC
Charlotte Cosmetic Dentistry: Correcting a Gummy Smile with a Gum Lift
Cosmetic Dentistry can take many shapes and forms, and it is so important for you to find a cosmetic dentist who knows about all the options, not just teeth whitening and veneers. Sometimes those are the wrong thing, and that's especially true for patients with a gummy smile. In the patient here, it was a "gum lift", or periodontal plastic surgery Sometimes Teeth Look Short Because of Too Much Gum Covering Them Mia first came to my office in March 2007 to ask if Porcelain Veneers could give her the smile she'd always wanted. Her complaint was that her teeth were too short and square, and she hoped that veneers could make them longer. However, the problem was NOT that her teeth were too short; the problem was that she had too much gum COVERING her teeth, making them appear shorter than they really were. Mia's Smile Before the Gum Lift Don't Put Crowns Close to Bone, or What is Biologic-Width Invasion? Mia also had old dental crowns and bridges in need of replacement. Twenty years ago, her dentist put the edges very far under the gum and too close to the bone. When that happens, your body thinks it's a foreign object and tries to get rid of it, but can't, so the gums get irritated, sore, and red - no matter how much your brush and floss. When a crown edge is too close to bone, we call it a biologic width invasion. Cosmetic Gum Surgery, or a "Gum Lift" So after plenty of consultation, Mia decided to go with the corrective gum surgery. The technical name is "Esthetic Crown Lengthening," which simply means that we are making the teeth look prettier by making [...]
A new website with more info on Six-Month Braces for Adults in Charlotte, NC
I've been laboring to learn web design for about the last 6 months so that I could create my own sites to help spread the word on one of our patients' favorite procedures, and I've finally published my first website, which is very exciting! It's been a lot of work, and there will be much more work to come in future months as I update it, add more Featured Cases, and expand the procedures that are covered. For now, though, I hope you will all find it useful if you're looking for a Smile Makeover here in Charlotte with Six-Month Braces.
Does dentistry last forever?
How long will my dental work last? "It depends." This is a question that we get a lot, and it's a very understandable one, especially if you're about to invest your hard-earned money into your mouth, right? Just like a car, your teeth and gums require regular care to ensure that they are working properly. Sure, you can go 10-20,000 miles between oil changes given how improved cars are nowadays, but do you really want to take the risk? Same thing with teeth..........some people go for 5-10 years with no dental check-ups and are fortunate when they come in to find no problems, such as cavities or gum disease. But not many people are so lucky! I always remember a quote from some lecturer at a dental conference years ago telling us his response to this question, and it's really the most honest, best answer that can be given, "Clearly the teeth that God gave you haven't lasted your entire life, and since I'm not nearly as talented as God, my work won't last forever either." What Can Cause Dental Work to Fail? Grinding your teeth -- when the human jaw clenches, it can create an amazing amount of force, and over time, enough clenching will cause teeth to crack and break. Acidity -- anything that increases the acidity in your mouth is good for the bacteria that cause cavities, including Acid Reflux, Sodas, Power drinks (Monster, Red Bull, etc), Sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade, etc). A very sugary diet -- the bacteria that cause cavities love sugar. High sugar content means the bacteria feed like crazy, produce acid, and the acid is what eats away the teeth to cause cavities. A weak immune system -- [...]
Updates on Invisalign
ALIGN Technology, the company that makes Invisalign orthodontic aligners, has not yet made any indication that they will be reversing their decision on June 1st to require dentists and orthodontists to do a minimum of 10 cases each year and complete 10 hours of their Continuing Education courses each year. The backlash among dentists and orthodontists, however, continues to get stronger, as this is a fairly blatant move by a for-profit corporation to intrude on a doctor's autonomy and decision-making rights as to which cases are appropriate for Invisalign and which are not. Several professional organizations, including the Academy of General Dentistry and the New York State Dental Association, are already responding with letters to ALIGN Technology's Board of Directors and President, stating that there is simply no evidence that the so-called "proficiency requirements" have any basis in science, and unless they can come up with something to substantiate the claims the company is making, they should immediately withdraw the requirements. If ALIGN Technology continues on this course, patients should fully expect to see an enormous drop in the availability of Invisalign as more and more dentists and orthodontists simply drop their service. The good news is that there are alternatives to Invisalign, and they work as well or better, AND they're even less expensive! [...]
Invisalign "proficiency requirements" or just a QUOTA?
It has been an interesting couple of weeks when it comes to Six-Month Braces and Short-Term Ortho in general in our office...... We had planned to attend InvisAlign certification in Raleigh on June 12th so we could start offering this service to our patients. Personally, I'm not that big a fan of those clear aligners at all, because they cost more (we have to pay a hefty lab fee, which is why your fee is higher than for brackets), they don't work in as many cases (quite a few limitations), and they take longer - ESPECIALLY if you lose 1 or more aligners and have to get some remade. However, so many people are interested, we figured.....why not? We can offer it for the situations in which it is a good option and offer the "invisible brackets" for everyone else. BUT THEN.... On June 1st, Align Technologies (the company that actually runs the operation) sent an email to all of it's providers in conjunction with a Press Release to the public with some major news. Since we had just signed up, we weren't even on the list of people who received the emails, so fortunately I found out about this through an online forum for dentists, and oooooooh boy, looks like they stepped in it this time! Here is the link to the Press Release: InvisAlign Makes a Huge Mistake in Doctor Relations! (BTW - that's not what they call it, it's just what most of us dentists think) Simply put, by the end of this year, an enormous percentage of dentists will allegedly no longer be "qualified" to offer InvisAlign to their patients simply because they don't do 10 cases per year. Heck, even [...]
Bonding just 1 front tooth one REALLY satisfied patient
You know, dentistry can be a very challenging job: working on very small teeth, teeth, tongue, cheeks, saliva all trying to get in the way, patient fears.....some days dentistry wears you out. But other days like today? Wow, I had a patient come in this morning for whom we'd done a big tooth-colored filling (bonding) on her upper left eye-tooth a couple weeks ago. It had been really obvious in her smile, a big brown hole in the tooth that she had to hide every time she smiled, and trust me.......this is a lady who likes to smile a LOT. When we finished the bonding that day, she almost burst into tears of happiness, because she could smile with confidence again. Honestly, this testimonial is the reason cosmetic dentistry is so big, whether it's porcelain veneers, bonding, Six-Month Smiles (getting your teeth straight in only 6 months really is possible!), teeth whitening......read for yourself why I love what I do, even with all the challenges: "After 17 years of being terrified of the dentist and avoiding simple preventive office visits, my smile had become my enemy. For years now, I have covered my mouth when I laughed and smiled, even avoided social settings. Dr. Payet and his staff have been wonderful to me and have made me feel very comfortable while in the office. in just two visits they have given me so much to smile about! I almost bust into tears of joy when I smile in front of a mirror, and find myself in front of many mirrors lately! Dr. Payet has restored my confidence and for that I am truly grateful to him and everyone in his office! Thank you so much! [...]
A Complete Smile Makeover with Porcelain Crowns for Teeth Damaged by Bulimia
Acid Erosion from Bulimia Damages Teeth There are many reasons patients come to see me for cosmetic dentistry. One of the most common reasons is because their teeth are badly worn down from grinding, often in combination with acid erosion that has eaten away at the enamel. Treating these cases can be complex, because if we don't properly diagnose and solve the problem that caused the worn, eroded teeth in the first place, then any cosmetic dentistry is sure to fail very fast. When Jenni (not her real name, as she prefers to stay anonymous) first came to see me through a referral back in 2005 for a Smile Makeover consultation, she admitted that she had suffered from bulimia as a teen, about 20 years prior. She had recovered from this debilitating disease and had been leading a healthy, normal life for many years, but her teeth had been so eroded that she was extremely self-conscious and embarrassed by her smile. Control the Cause of Erosion, or Your Work Will Fail Since Jenni's original issue had been addressed medically, we were safe moving forward with a greatly decreased risk of acid erosion causing problems again, although bulimics are at a much higher risk of GERD/acid reflux. In cases like this, we use a combination of products to protect the teeth and dental work, because the teeth are still at a greater risk of future decay, due to all the previous damage. I've discussed many of the products we recommend in my post, There's No Such Thing as Soft Teeth, if this is a concern. [...]
Baby Boomers & Dental Care – Don’t wait until after retirement!
With more and more Baby Boomers approaching or entering retirement, an issue often not considered is their dental health. I think it is actually an important topic to discuss, even more so in today's economy. Many Baby Boomers - my parents included - have put retirement on hold, but it's still not all that far away, and with retirement usually comes the loss of dental insurance and the loss of medical/dental Flex plans that can help a lot with covering the cost of dental care. After that, it's all out-of-pocket. Ouch! So we always recommend a thorough re-evaluation of existing dental work for things that may be on the verge of going bad. Such things could be: Old silver fillings with cavities and cracks that could turn into root canals and crowns or extractions The teeth around the old silver fillings may have cracks that could lead to broken teeth Gum (periodontal) disease Ugly old crowns that could be replaced for a nicer smile in the golden years Replacing missing teeth with dental bridges or implants so you can eat the foods you want Etc etc etc...... This gentleman hadn't been to the dentist in a number of years but knew that he was approaching retirement, so he wanted to come in, get a cleaning, and find out if he needed to take care of anything while he still had dental insurance. Turns out that many of his 30+ year old silver fillings were in really bad condition, with pieces chipping off, cavities forming around the edges, teeth cracking, and gum disease to boot. While the total treatment that he needed involved some gum surgery (not needed for everyone, obviously), the primary issue that we [...]
Experienced and Affordable Cosmetic Dentistry
Charlotte cosmetic dentist Dr. Charles Payet offers a Dental Savings Plan, even for Smile Makeovers. I've talked about the Quality Dental Plan several times, but something that may be overlooked is that this even covers Cosmetic Dentistry! Imagine you're looking for a Smile Makeover and want to get Porcelain Veneers, like Craig's, in the below picture, and you're concerned about the total fees: Depending on the complexity of the case and your cosmetic desires, a Smile Makeover can run from $1200-2000/tooth in Charlotte, so 10 Porcelain Veneers will cost you $12,000 - $20,000. But imagine that now......simply by enrolling in the Quality Dental Plan with a low annual enrollment fee, you would automatically receive a TEN PERCENT (10%) DISCOUNT!!!!! That would save you $1200-2,000 on your Smile Reconstruction by me - a highly skilled and experienced cosmetic dentist, right here in Charlotte, NC. To make an appointment for a Complimentary Consultation: Request an Appointment Online or call us at 704-364-7069. We'll look forward to meeting you soon!
