Smile Makeover - Cosmetic Dentistry in The Woodlands TX

Cristine: I decided to get veneers, because when I was younger I fell in a skating accident and chipped my front tooth. I had to get bonding done on it. So, over the years, I had bonding stains and discolors. When I started working for Dr. Lewis, I really didn't know all my options. I really had only talked to a dentist about doing the bonding.

Dr. Guy Lewis: Cristine's been working with me for about nine years, and she had worked for a plastic surgeon before. So she had been involved in the beauty industry, and she came to work for me. She has been a great asset. She's great, she understands what we do, she can communicate with the patients well, but she wanted to change her teeth as well.

She had some bonding done in the past, and they tend to stain. Bonding is an acrylic material that tends to absorb stain and change color over time, so she wanted to make them look nicer. She's a really pretty lady, and so I wanted to give her a really bright smile that would accent her look.

Cristine: We discussed crowns, full coverage crowns for all my teeth or veneers being more conservative, and I liked the more conservative approach on my front teeth, so we went with the veneers.

Dr. Guy Lewis: Veneers are a very thin shell, kind of like a contact lens of porcelain that goes over teeth. Another analogy would be kind of like a fake fingernail that you put over your fingernail. They are made to change the shape of the teeth, change the color of the teeth. Then we're putting the veneers right over their tooth, so we don't have to reduce the tooth in any way.

Then, I just smooth it out very gently right around the gum line. Most of the time, there's no irritation to anything, so we do it without numbing and without drilling on the teeth. They're very thin and delicate before they're bonded onto the teeth. Once they're bonded onto the teeth, they become very hard and they last a long time. I've had veneers, I have dental patients that are still doing good after 30 years.

Cristine: I love my new smile! Dr. Lewis truly is a miracle worker, and that first impression is a lasting impression, and I think a great smile is worth it all.