You might think David Copperfield leads a charmed life:  He can escape from ropes, chains, and prison cells, make a Learjet or a railroad car disappear, and even appear to fly above the stage. But the illustrious illusionist will be the first to admit that making all that magic takes a lot of hard work. And he recently told Dear Doctor magazine that his brilliant smile has benefitted from plenty of behind-the-scenes dental work as well.

“When I was a kid, I had every kind of [treatment]. I had braces, I had headgear, I had rubber bands, and a retainer afterward,” Copperfield said. And then, just when his orthodontic treatment was finally complete, disaster struck. “I was at a mall, running down this concrete alleyway, and there was a little ledge… and I went BOOM!”

Copperfield’s two front teeth were badly injured by the impact. “My front teeth became nice little points,” he said. Yet, although they had lost a great deal of their structure, his dentist was able to restore those damaged teeth in a very natural-looking way. What kind of “magic” did the dentist use?

In Copperfield’s case, the teeth were repaired using crown restorations. Crowns (also called caps) are suitable when a tooth has lost part of its visible structure, but still has healthy roots beneath the gum line. To perform a crown restoration, the first step is to make a precise model of your teeth, often called an impression. This allows a replacement for the visible part of the tooth to be fabricated, and ensures it will fit precisely into your smile. In its exact shape and shade, a well-made crown matches your natural teeth so well that it’s virtually impossible to tell them apart. Subsequently, the crown restoration is permanently attached to the damaged tooth.

There’s a blend of technology and art in making high quality crowns — just as there is in some stage-crafted illusions. But the difference is that the replacement tooth is not just an illusion: It looks, functions and “feels” like your natural teeth… and with proper care it can last for many years to come.  Besides crowns, there are several other types of tooth restorations that are suitable in different situations. We can recommend the right kind of “magic” for you.

If you would like more information about crowns, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Crowns & Bridgework” and “Porcelain Crowns & Veneers.”

With the advent of home whitening kits, you no longer have to go to the dentist to have your teeth whitened. DIY kits are relatively safe and effective, if you follow the directions carefully.

So, you might be thinking: why have a dentist whiten my teeth? Actually, there are good reasons why you might. Here are 4 of them.

We'll make sure your teeth are healthy first. Your teeth may need some attention first, such as treatment for dental disease, before we undertake whitening. We'll also determine why your teeth are stained, which could impact how they're whitened (more about that in a moment).

Our application could take less time and last longer. Bleaching agents in home kits make up less than 10% of volume, much weaker than the applications we use. While it often takes several applications at home to achieve the desired brightness, you may only need one or two sessions with us. Our stronger solution may also extend the “fade time” — when the whitening begins to diminish — than what you may encounter with home whitening.

We can be more precise achieving the right shade. There are different shades of teeth whiteness — what looks good for someone else might not look good for you. We have the training and expertise to achieve a color that's right for you. What's more, we also have techniques and equipment like UV lighting that enables us to color match more precisely than you can with a home kit.

Your DIY kit can't alter some forms of staining. Home kits bleach only the outermost layers of tooth enamel. That won't help, though, if your discoloration originates inside the tooth. This intrinsic staining requires procedures only a dentist can perform to bleach the tooth from the inside out.

Even if you'd still like to use a home kit we'll be happy to advise you on purchasing and application. It's also a good idea to have us check the staining first to see if a home kit will work at all. In the end, we share the same desire as you do: that your teeth are as healthy as they can be and bright as you want them to be.

If you would like more information on tooth whitening options, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Tooth Whitening Safety Tips.”