Professional cosmetic dentistry, right here in Wembley Downs.
Cosmetic dentistry is a broad term which may involve numerous dental procedures done to improve the appearance of a person’s smile. This process may involve one or a combination of dental procedures such as-
- Porcelain Veneers, crowns, bridges, inlays or onlays
- Composite veneers/restorations
- Gum lifts
- Gum grafts
- Dental implants
- Orthodontics – fixed braces or invisalign
- Periodontal treatment
- Tooth whitening
Cosmetic dentistry is both an art and a science and Dr Porzig thrives on the challenge that it presents every day at Lifestyle Dental Studio. He is a true perfectionist and brings his artistic flare to every case that he does. Please view the gallery below to view some examples of these cosmetic dentistry procedures.
Gum grafts or soft tissue grafts are done for a number of reasons: To cover root surfaces when the gums have receded, to thicken the soft tissue and increase the band of keratinised mucosa around the tooth or implant in order to make the gum more resilient to future recession and to fill in areas where the gum is lacking bulk.
The graft tissue may be taken from the palate (autogenous graft) or alternatively we will use a soft tissue grafting product called “Alloderm”.
Implants
Dental implants are essentially artificial tooth roots which are surgically placed into the jawbone. The jawbone then heals around the implant, accepting it as part of the jaw through a process called osseointegration. These implants can then be used to support a single tooth crown, a multi-tooth unit called a dental bridge or a complete denture.
Dr. David Porzig performs all aspects of dental implant treatment. He has over 20 years of experience in implant dentistry and performs every stage of the treatment including tooth extraction, bone/soft tissue grafting, implant placement and final implant crown placement. This can help reduce the potential anxiety surrounding the procedure, as the entire process is completed in the familiar setting of our studio with our regular team. This can also help to keep costs to a minimum as the need to visit multiple different providers and specialists is removed.
It should be stressed though that it is important to consider not just the cost of the treatment, but also the experience, training and skill set of the dentist performing the implant dentistry. A dental implant which is poorly planned or poorly done can have a catastrophic impact on the surrounding teeth and be either very difficult or impossible to remedy completely.
The implant process consists of the following stages:
Planning — 2D and sometimes specialised 3D radiographs, as well as photos and models are used to plan precisely where the implant(s) is going to be placed. We also plan how, when or if we are going to need any bone or soft tissue grafting.
Implant placement — This can be done under local anaesthetic alone or together with IV sedation depending on patient preference and difficulty of procedure. The implants are left to heal for a period of time prior to the final replacement option being placed. During the healing period a temporary crown or removable partial denture can be worn if the tooth being replaced is visible in the smile.
Final tooth replacement — Once all our planning has come to fruition and the implant has integrated into the bone, we will carefully attach the final crown or bridge to your implants. Once you’re happy, we will complete our job with a final consultation.
To learn more and see what is possible with dental implants, please click on our ‘Implants’ services tab.
Porcelain Veneers, Crowns & Bridges
What is dental porcelain?
Porcelain crowns and veneers are used to improve the appearance and structural integrity of the teeth when they have become discoloured, chipped or worn. They are a strong custom-made reinforced porcelain shell which is bonded to the outside of the damaged tooth/teeth. The result is very natural, stain resistant and long lasting. They can be used to repair or upgrade the aesthetics of a single tooth or multiple teeth, such as when we do a smile make over.
Composite Bonding
Composite resin, or tooth coloured filling material, is very versatile and can be used for small and large restorations on the back and front teeth. It provides a less expensive alternative to porcelain veneers on the front teeth. Composite veneers can be a more conservative alternative to porcelain veneers in that there is little or no tooth preparation required. It also provides a low commitment entry point for patients exploring cosmetic dentistry, or those bound by tight budget constraints.
However, composite veneers will generally not be as aesthetically brilliant as well made porcelain veneers and may take up some stain over the years whereas porcelain won’t. Composite does have one big advantage over porcelain in that it is repairable should it be chipped. The porcelain veneer may need to be remade if it chips as repairs to porcelain may not last. The choice of composite vs porcelain for your smile make over is one that we will guide you with during our treatment planning consultation.
Smile make-overs
When a significant change is required to the smile as a whole due to wear and tear, discolouration, neglect or just naturally unaesthetic teeth, a “smile make over” utilizing porcelain crowns and veneers or sometimes tooth coloured composite resin restorations is performed.
The design, shade and overall look of the new smile is discussed in detail prior to any treatment being started. The final outcome is pre-planned in the lab using digital scans and photos and can be “tried in” with a temporary try-in material before any permanent changes are made to the teeth. At Lifestyle Dental Studio we use EMAX full porcelain crowns and veneers which are beautifully natural and are custom made by skilled dental ceramicists here in Perth. To maintain good quality control, we never skimp on price by using labs which outsource their work to cheaper international labs. We believe using a dental ceramicist is an integral part of the porcelain veneer/crown dental makeover process and we use only the best ceramicists in Perth at Omni Dental Ceramics. We have partnered with the team at Omni Dental Ceramics for over 10 years and couldn’t be happier with the quality of work they produce.
A smile make over with dental porcelain is very technically demanding and requires a team with experience, skill and attention to detail to get the best aesthetics and longevity. David Porzig has over 20 years experience utilising cutting-edge modern dentistry and treats every case as if they were a family member. If something isn’t perfect we would much rather take the time to tweak it instead of pushing ahead for efficiency. At Lifestyle Dental Studio patients are never just ‘another case’. You are part of our community, and we work hard to ensure we are genuinely proud of every piece of work that we do! Book in for an appointment to meet David and the team and get ready to enjoy a beautiful, natural, long lasting smile.
Teeth Whitening
Tooth whitening is the most conservative and cost effective way of improving the appearance of your teeth. It is a bleaching process which can be done in chair at the studio or at home. Tooth whitening utilizes the oxidising effect of peroxide to lighten the tooth enamel to its most naturally white shade — this end shade is person specific due to variations in enamel thickness and natural dentine/enamel shades. There are two types of peroxide gel: hydrogen peroxide and carbomide peroxide. There is also a range of different peroxide concentrations available to use in tooth whitening. The strongest concentration of hydrogen peroxide can only be applied by a dentist or hygienist and requires a protective gel barrier to be applied to the gums to protect them from the peroxide. This strong in-chair whitening will also require approximately a week of follow up take home whitening to complete the whitening process.
At Lifestyle Dental Studio we find that a take home whitening kit which takes approximately two weeks is the best outcome for most of our patients. It is a strong, yet gentle approach when compared to in-chair whitening and therefore results in less sensitivity of the teeth following the procedure. It is also the most cost-effective way to achieve tooth whitening. The kit consists of a custom-made whitening guard for both top and bottom teeth, whitening gel and desensitizing gel. These guards can be kept and used to refresh the whitening after the initial procedure has been done. Our studio stocks top-up whitening gel should you wish to re-do your whitening 12-24 months down the track.
Smile make-overs
Invisalign utilises clear sequential aligners to straighten the teeth. The plastic aligners are CAD CAM made to a plan determined by our digital treatment plan. Each aligner is worn for 22 hours per day for 1-2 weeks before being changed to the next aligner in the planned sequence of aligners. The number of aligners required and therefore the length of treatment time is dependent on the complexity of the orthodontic problem. The aligners are removed for eating and cleaning. Aesthetically, they are hardly noticeable, unlike traditional braces. Another benefit of Invisalign is that prior to commencing treatment, the final treatment result can be viewed digitally to make sure that our patients are happy with the treatment plan. Costs vary according to the complexity and length of the treatment plan. Our Invisalign fees (planning, aligner treatment and retainers) start at $3000. To make the treatment more easily achievable, we do payment plans which spread the payments over the course of the treatment. Please call our friendly patient coordinators for more information or alternatively feel free to drop into the practice in Wembley Downs for a chat with one of our team members.
Gum lifts and Gum Grafting
What is it and who needs it?
When there is an excess of gum covering the teeth/tooth, a gum lift can be done to make the teeth look longer, thereby improving the aesthetics. It is a very simple local anaesthetic procedure where the gum is trimmed away to the ideal position (gingivectomy). When there is an excess of bone under the gum causing the problem, the bone support around the tooth/teeth may also need reshaping at the same time as the gingivectomy.