Cosmetic Dentist – San Jose, CA
Your Smile Can Light Up the World
Just because you have a healthy smile doesn’t necessarily mean you love the way it looks. If you are suffering as a result of imperfect front teeth, let Dr. Kelly Thanh take over. We provide several cosmetic dentistry services in San Jose — and performing aesthetic improvements is one of our specialties. With a personalized approach and the expertise she’s known for, Dr. Thanh reveals dazzling smile results for San Jose patients — learn more and schedule an appointment today!
Why Choose Dr. Kelly Thanh for Cosmetic Dentistry?
- Digital Smile Design: See Results Before Treatment Starts
- High-Quality Emax & Porcelain Dental Crowns
- In-Office & At-Home Teeth Whitening
Veneers
Porcelain veneers can cover up any number of smile imperfections with just one treatment. They are thin coverings made of dental porcelain that are securely affixed to the front side of the teeth that show when you smile. Here, they completely remake the appearance of chipped, cracked, broken, stained, or even slightly gapped teeth. Because of their ability to remake slightly misaligned teeth, porcelain veneers can act as instant orthodontics.
Porcelain veneers are placed over the course of two to three visits to Dr. Thanh’s office. We remove a thin layer of enamel from the surface of the teeth to make room for the new restorations. Once they have been securely affixed to the front of the teeth, veneers can last for as long as two decades. Dental porcelain is highly resistant to staining, so the veneers will stay the same beautiful shade of white the entire time they are on your smile.
Metal Free Restorations
For imperfect teeth in the front of the smile, metal-free restorations can come to the rescue. Porcelain or ceramic crowns, bridges, inlays, and onlays restore and replace damaged or missing teeth without negatively affecting the appearance of your smile. Metal-free restorations are placed over the course of two to three visits to our office. In the initial planning stages, your tooth is prepared to receive the restoration. A temporary crown/bridge covers the affected tooth until the permanent restoration is ready.
Direct Bonding
Tooth-colored composite resin can be used to make minor repairs to the front teeth. It can be used to even out chipped, broken, or misshapen teeth in just one visit to our office. Dr. Thanh places the composite resin directly into the tooth enamel, sculpts a new shape, and then sets the material in a matter of minutes. Composite resin can be customized to match the exact color of your teeth for the most natural-looking results.
Teeth Whitening
Stained and yellow teeth can make you look older than you actually are. With professional-grade whitening, we break through discoloration on the surface of and just below the exterior tooth enamel. In-office and at-home treatments are available in our San Jose dental practice to help you reveal the results you want, at the pace you are most comfortable with.
In-practice Zoom! Whitening is performed in just one, one-hour visit to our office. First, we cover up your gums, lips, tongue, and anything that’s not your teeth to keep you safe throughout the powerful whitening process. Then, we apply the gel and activate it under a high-powered light in three 15-minute intervals. At-home whitening with Opalescence can achieve the same results, just at a more gradual pace, and allows you to keep your own schedule while improving your appearance.
With continued dental hygiene and periodic touch-ups, you can enjoy your dazzling white teeth for many years after initial treatment.
Gum Recontouring / Crown Lengthening
Proportion is an important component in aesthetics, and it’s the same with the appearance of your smile. Beautiful smiles have more healthy white tooth enamel showing than gums — but some people have too much gum tissue showing, whether due to genetics or injury. Gum recontouring and crown lengthening fixes gummy smiles, or excessive gum tissue. Dr. Thanh uses a soft tissue laser to precisely remove just what needs to come off to help you achieve the most aesthetically pleasing smile possible.
BOTOX & Dermal Fillers
Do pesky wrinkles cause you to look older, constantly tired, and make you think twice before smiling? Rather than scheduling a trip to an overly expensive spa or clinic, Dr. Thanh can give you smoother skin and a more youthful look with Botox and filler treatment. These can be paired with any of our other cosmetic services and allow you to save time while looking like the absolute best version of yourself.
Smile Makeovers
For many patients, a single treatment isn’t enough to help them get the results they want. In these cases, Dr. Thanh can use digital software to mock up what a patient’s smile will look like after receiving a variety of treatments. Once they love the simulated image, Dr. Thanh can turn it into reality using a smile makeover, which is a curated combination of procedures meant to address several issues as efficiently as possible.
Cosmetic Dentistry FAQs
Why is Cosmetic Dentistry So Popular?
In the last few decades, cosmetic dentistry has become quite popular. This shift stems from changes in knowledge, technology, and affordability.
Firstly, people are more aware of their oral health and take better care of it. That means the average person has a stronger smile today than was possible in decades past. They don’t have to worry as much about oral conditions, so they can focus more on how their grin looks.
Better technology has also made cosmetic dentistry more effective and affordable. Veneers and similar options were once only available for the wealthy, but now they fit within an ordinary person’s budget. These procedures also yield better results than before, utilizing advanced materials and methods.
Does Cosmetic Dentistry Hurt?
Rest assured that modern cosmetic dentistry doesn’t hurt. When done by a qualified dentist, the treatments in this field won’t cause you or your smile any pain.
Note that most cosmetic dental work is non-invasive. For example, treatments like teeth whitening and dental bonding only apply bleaching gel or tooth-colored resin. These substances can be used painlessly and don’t require any local anesthetic.
Even when a cosmetic treatment is invasive, the dentist will take steps to make it ache-free. They can numb your mouth before placing veneers, metal-free restorations, etc. You may feel some mild soreness after the placement, but this effect is mild and temporary.
How Can Cosmetic Dentistry Change Your Life?
While cosmetic dentistry may seem frivolous, it really isn’t. The field’s treatments can improve multiple aspects of your daily life.
Good cosmetic dental work will often improve your oral health. As for the reason, it’s simple: you’ll likely look after your smile to preserve its transformed looks! That means you’ll probably brush, floss, and attend dental checkups more regularly, ensuring your teeth and gums stay strong.
A cosmetic treatment can also enhance your emotional health. After all, you’re more likely to show off your grin if it looks gorgeous. That repeated act of smiling will then lower your stress levels, as it’ll prompt your body to produce “feel-good chemicals” like endorphins.
What Can I Do About My Gummy Smile?
While cosmetic dentistry mostly focuses on your teeth, it does have ways to fix a “gummy smile.” You just need to see which options your dentist offers.
One treatment you could try would be gum recontouring. This service uses a dental laser to remove excess gum tissue, revealing more of your smile’s pearly whites. It’s also fairly inexpensive, with results that last a lifetime due to the removed gums not growing back.
Another great option would be to get dental crowns. While these caps usually treat cavities, they can also be placed to make teeth appear longer, larger, or more proportionate to your gums. Their placement is also non-invasive and painless.