Cosmetic Dentistry

River Oaks Dental Arts offers comprehensive care with an emphasis on cosmetic dentistry. Although we offer general dentistry, Dr. Testa shines in her ability in assisting the patient in imagining and creating the perfect smile. Besides Dr. Testa's skill, her attention to detail and the time that she spends with her patients to make sure that their smile is perfect sets her apart from all other "cosmetic" dentists. She only offers the highest quality materials, and has hand selected the labs that aid in the creation of our patient's ideal smile. At our office, porcelain veneers are not the only procedure that we consider cosmetic. Dr. Testa performs all of her treatment from a cosmetic point of view from making a tooth colored filling look as though it is not even there, to making sure you look like you just got a tan at the beach and not like you just had your teeth bleached. Dr. Testa considers cosmetic dentistry as an artwork, hence the name "River Oaks Dental Arts". The patient's mouth is her canvas, and the patient's desire is her muse.

Dr. Testa treats cosmetic issues with a number of different procedure options such as At-Home or Laser Whitening, Gum Re-contouring, Bonded Veneers, Porcelain Veneers, Full Porcelain Crowns, and Full Porcelain Bridges.

Porcelain Veneers     Porcelain veneers are the most common restorations used to improve someone's smile.  With porcelain veneers Dr. Testa can close gaps, change the color/shade of the teeth, correct mal-alignment issues, and add length.  All of these issues can be improved dramatically because a conservative amount of tooth structure is removed.  The process can take from 3 to 4 appointments.  The first appointment is a consultation in which the patient and Dr. Testa discuss and plan the ideal smile.  The subsequent appointments that follow consist of impressions and preparation for the permanent veneers.  There is a period of time in which you wear temporaries to cover the prepared tooth while the lab makes the veneers.  Most dentists use the temporaries for their specific purpose, covering the prepared teeth, but Dr. Testa uses them as a diagnostic tool.  Dr. Testa sculpts the temporaries to look like your ideal smile to make sure the changes is exactly what you imagined.  Changes can be made during this stage and are communicated to the lab so that the permanent veneers are perfect.  At the final appointment the veneers are cemented and all of the patient's desires for a beautiful smile come to fruition.

Full Porcelain Crowns     Full Porcelain Crowns achieve the same changes that can be made with veneers.  The only difference is the amount of tooth structure removed.  Veneers are more conservative because they are placed over the front of the tooth.  The full porcelain crown covers the whole tooth so tooth structure is removed not only from the front but also from the back and the sides of the tooth.  The crown can be needed in cases in which decay is involved or if the tooth/teeth are extremely mal-aligned.  So many options make creating a beautiful smile so much easier.

Full Porcelain Bridges     Full Porcelain Bridges are used when there are teeth missing in the anterior, or front, of the mouth.  Having the option to use a full porcelain bridge as opposed to a bridge with a metal substructure is wonderful because the full porcelain has more color variations and looks more life-like.  With any porcelain fused to metal restorations, the grayness of the metal can show through making it more difficult for the lab to achieve the perfect harmony of color and shading.