A beautiful smile makes for a great first impression and can be a great asset throughout your life. That is why, at the office of Dr. Finnerty, Dr. Wu, and Dr. Palabrica, we provide our patients with high-quality cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry is the area of dentistry devoted to giving you a whiter, straighter, more esthetically pleasing smile. We perform a wide range of cosmetic dentistry procedures, including bleaching, bonding, and attaching veneers and crowns. We even offer the Invisalign® invisible orthodontic system to help you straighten your smile.
Bleaching
Dentist supervised bleaching is the safest and most effective method to brighten your smile. At our office, we offer two systems for your convenience. The first, a power bleaching procedure called ZOOM!™, utilizes high wave length light and a special light-activated bleaching gel to dramatically whiten your teeth during a single, one-hour office visit.
We also have the take-home whitening system that allows patients to whiten their teeth on their own schedule, in the comfort and convenience of their own homes.
Bonding
Cosmetic bonding can quickly and painlessly repair chipped, cracked, and discolored teeth. In this procedure, a composite resin is applied to the surface of your teeth, masking cosmetic problems. Bonding can also be used to close gaps between teeth. The bonding agent is durable, and gives you stronger, whiter teeth.
Veneers
The appearance of malformed or broken teeth can be amazingly improved by attaching a veneer made of porcelain or a composite material. This technique can dramatically change the shape and color of your teeth.
Veneers are thin covers that slide over your teeth and are firmly bonded in place using a special dental bonding agent. They can easily correct problems such as stained, chipped, and cracked teeth, and can even be used to correct some misalignments and close gaps. Veneers are often called "instant orthodontics" for this reason.
Invisalign®
Using the latest advances in 3-D computer technology, Invisalign® uses data gathered by your doctor to create a virtually invisible series of aligners that will steadily guide your teeth into perfect alignment. You wear each set of aligners for about two weeks, moving your teeth gradually, week by week, millimeter by millimeter, until you've achieved the desired result.
Invisalign® teeth aligners are made of clear plastic, which makes them almost completely undetectable to a passing glance. They are also easily removed, so they can be taken out for eating, brushing, and flossing. Teeth straightening with Invisalign® takes the same amount of time as with traditional braces, but it is far more discreet and convenient.
Click here to learn more about Invisalign®
Crowns
When too much of a tooth is decayed or broken away, it is best restored with a crown. A crown is a natural-looking restoration that completely covers the damaged tooth, restoring both its appearance and its function. Crowns are generally fabricated using porcelain fused to precious metal. They may also be made of other metals, of gold, or entirely of porcelain.
At our office, we find that the most aesthetically pleasing of all crowns are the all-porcelain Empress or Lava crowns. These crowns are "metal-free" and provide the most natural-looking restorations possible.
The Empress crown is manufactured by layering "presses ceramic" on top of each other. Lava crowns use CAD/CAM Technology in developing a zirconium core, and then porcelain is applied on top of the core.
Implant Restoration
Dental implants consist of two main parts: titanium screws that are surgically placed into the jawbone, and porcelain crowns that are attached to the implants. Since they are anchored directly into the bone, dental implants look and feel just like natural teeth.
At our office, we refer patients to a skilled oral surgeon who will implant the titanium anchor. You will then return to our office, where your dentist will carefully select a crown to match the rest of your teeth, and then securely attach it to the anchor. Bone and gum tissue grow around the dental implant, rendering it virtually indistinguishable from a natural tooth.
Mini Implants/MDI Implants
We are now able to offer mini implants as a treatment alternative. The Sendax MDI System was developed to provide denture stability for patients who cannot withstand the rigors of conventional implant surgery or do not have enough bone to allow for full sized implants.
Click here to learn more about Mini Implant
Finnerty, Wu & Palabrica
1500 Wilson Blvd., Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22209
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