Do you have the smile you truly want?  Have you always wanted to change your smile?  Make the moment now!

LUMINEERS porcelain veneers can transform your smile with little or no preparation (meaning minimal to no removal of tooth structure).  LUMINEERS can whiten stained teeth, reshape misaligned/awkward/crooked teeth, even out uneven teeth, lengthen short teeth, close unwanted gaps between teeth or fix chipped teeth.

New technology makes LUMINEERS extremely strong and much thinner than traditional veneers.  If tooth reduction is required, only minimal contouring is done, eliminating the need for anesthetic and the possibility of sensitivity afterwards.  The results are outstanding!

LUMINEERS can only be done by LUMINEERS Certified Dentists.  At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, both Dr. Shwedel and Dr. Okonkowski are LUMINEERS Certified Dentists.  It is our goal to make and keep your smile beautiful.  Should you have any questions about LUMINEERS or any other dental related topic, including the latest ways to keep your mouth healthy, please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website www.shwedeldental.com.  We are looking forward to seeing you soon.

Dr. Guy Mangia: Comprehensive Dental Examination is a service we provide for all new patients and for our adult patients of record every 2 years. Similar to a complete medical examination with your physician, this examination  process is considered the current Standard of Care with the American Dental Association.  During this examination we are able to document and compare the findings that are significant to your oral health.  Being able to compare these findings at a two year interval allows us to detect changes in your dental health that may be subtle to the human eye, resulting in early detection and correction of oral problems.  Of course, we will continue to provide updated examinations at the time of your  periodontal maintenance visit in between your comprehensive dental evaluations.

The Comprehensive Examination and Evaluation consists of six areas of your oral health:

• Head and neck oral cancer examination
• Temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) evaluation
• Evaluation of your occlusion( how your upper and lower teeth relate to each other in function)
• Periodontal examination and evaluation of the supporting bone and tissue around the teeth
• Evaluation of current dental restorations, detection of new decay and fractured teeth
• Esthetic evaluation of your smile

We use several diagnostic aids in the comprehensive examination to assist us in our findings and treatment decisions.

• Full  mouth radiographs (as needed)
• A series of digital photographs of your smile and teeth
• Study model casts of your teeth (as needed)
• A current medical history and blood pressure reading
• ViziLite Plus oral cancer screening system

We will take time to listen to your concerns, considerations and desires when it comes to the correction of your oral health problems.  Treatment plan options will be developed and discussed as a result of our clinical findings, our professional judgment and your wants and needs.

At the end of your examination, our treatment coordinator will provide you with your examination results, including a copy of your treatment plan, your periodontal charting, your dental photographs and any support brochures we feel would help you better understand our discussion.  We invite you to visit our web site for further information concerning the dental procedures as well as information about our practice.

www.guymangiadds.com

We feel open communication is vital to the patient/professional relationship.  If you ever have had any questions or concerns about your examination visit, the treatment discussed, the fees presented your estimated insurance benefits or our practice procedures, please call and ask for assistance.  Our mission is to assist you in obtaining optimum oral health.  We know that this mission is dependent on a team of people (including you the patient) working toward a common goal.  We look forward to continuing to assist you in  your mission toward optimum oral health.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dr. Tau on Digital Impressions: We all know that no one actually wants to go to the dentist, and some people downright dread it. Patients assume that all dental procedures are going to be uncomfortable or even painful. In an effort to make going to see the dentist a more pleasant experience, many dental offices look more like health spas. Gone are the horrible sounds and smells, replaced by the sound of rock fountains, massage chairs, paraffin wax treatments, iPods and most importantly virtually painless dentistry. Dentists are embracing new technology that greatly enhances the patient experience and eases anxiety about dental treatments. Laser scanners allow your dentist to find decay that normally can’t be seen or felt until they are much bigger. Computerized anesthesia machines allow only the tooth being treated to be numb instead of your entire face. And now a common dental procedure known as a dental impression has an amazing new technology behind it.

Fig 1 – Conventional Putty Dental Impression

Every year millions of people need crowns and bridges to replace broken, decayed, heavily filled or missing teeth. More and more people are now requesting cosmetic porcelain veneers to improve their smile. In order to fabricate the crown (cap), bridge or veneer, a physical impression must be taken of the tooth being restored. Most patients cringe at the thought of having a mold of their mouth taken. The putty is messy, tastes extremely unpleasant, and in many patients can cause gagging. (Fig. 1) This is far from a perfect science and if the impression has an air bubble or other imperfection, it may not be suitable and unfortunately the dentist may have to repeat the process again. The crown, bridge or veneer created from the physical impression often requires additional time to seat, may require numerous adjustments and may eventually need replacing. Sometimes the crown does not even fit and the impression needs to be retaken and the lengthy process started all over. Dentists now have another option when it comes to taking a dental impression.

Fig 2 – Dr. Tau Taking an iTero Digital Impression

Cadent’s iTero is a new groundbreaking digital technology that eliminates the need for a gooey physical impression. This device enables the dentist to create an exact replica of what is in the mouth using only a laser scanner. (Fig. 2) The only thing that touches the mouth is the tip of the handheld wand. Guided by voice prompts, the dentist takes several scans of the teeth and the patient’s bite until a complete digital image is captured. With each scan, Itero software captures 100,000 data points in the patient’s mouth. Once the dentist begins the scanning process it can be stopped and started as many times as necessary, unlike the physical impression that must set for 5 or more minutes before it is removed from your mouth. Never again will patients be stuck with a mouth full of goop. Each scan takes only a few seconds.

Fig 3 – iTero 3-D Impression

After the scanning process is completed a 3-D digital model of the mouth is magnified and displayed on the computer screen right in front of the patient. (Fig. 3) This allows the dentist to review the scan and make any necessary changes or take additional scans if some information was missed. Seeing this information allows for better communication between the dentist , the dental assistant, the laboratory, and most importantly the patient. It also allows the dentist to head off potential issues that may have gone unnoticed until the seating appointment. Itero technology all but guarantees a perfect fit for the new crown or bridge, so patients spend less time at the dentist’s office and more time enjoying their new smile!
Going to the dentist still may not be at the top of a patient’s priority list but if and when a patient needs a crown or wants a veneer, the Cadent iTero digital impression will allow for a much more comfortable visit, and more importantly, a better fitting restoration.

Want to avoid the messy, gagging traditional method of taking impressions?

Call Dr. Leonard Tau and ask about the Cadent iTero digital impression system.

PatientFYI: No more plastic trays or bad tasting putty at the dentist’s office –  a digital dental impression system captures continuous 3D video images to create precise 3D dental models. When used by dentists and hygienists, it eliminates the discomfort of traditional methods and improves communication between patients and dentists by allowing immediate chair-side review.

Find a Chairside Oral Scanner Dentist near you today!

Chairside Oral Scanners provide digital impressions that are comfortable, fast & precise.

To create a digital impression, the dentist positions the wand in the patient’s mouth and glides the tip over the teeth to capture surface data. The 3D data is collected and reviewed in real-time on the display.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While a General Dentist’s main focus in on your overall oral health, which includes the prevention of tooth decay and restoration when needed, a Cosmetic Dentist will focus on improving your smile’s appearance & function through a variety of advancements in technology; such as teeth whitening, orthodontics, veneers and other reconstructive dental methodologies.

Find the best Cosmetic Dentists in your City & State! 

PatientFYI enables you to quickly learn about almost every Cosmetic Dentist in your city – so you can easily: compare their services & strengths, find out which advanced technologies they use, see any payment specials they are offering, read reviews from their patients that received the same service you want, make sure they accept your dental insurance; and much more! 

Many Technological Advancements in Cosmetic Dentistry

There have been many advancements which empower Cosmetic Dentists to complete intricate dental designs, all while preserving as much of your original tooth structure as possible. While incorporating the patient’s existing tooth structure, cosmetic dentists create the ideal shape according to each patient’s unique physiological make-up. Patient’s often times enhance their appearance and look younger due to the dramatic results of cosmetic dentistry.

Some of the typically methodologies used by cosmetic dentists in optimizing a patient’s smile include the following:

• Teeth Whitening or Bleaching: Significant color change in a short period of time is the major benefit of teeth whitening performed in our Dentist’s office. This protocol involves the carefully controlled use of a relatively high-concentration peroxide gel, applied to the teeth by the dentist or trained technician after the gums have been protected with a paint-on rubber dam. Generally, the peroxide remains on the teeth for several 15 to 20 minute intervals that add up to an hour (at most).

• Composite or Resin Fillings: If you have a cavity in a tooth, broken fillings, mercury fillings, or amalgam fillings, this type of dental filling is well worth discussing with your dentist. Mercury fillings or amalgam fillings can easily be removed and replaced with far more attractive colored fillings. These fillings actually strengthen your tooth beyond the level it had with the amalgam fillings.

• Inlays or Onlays: These are Porcelain fillings that cover an area too large for a filling


• Veneers: Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain veneers or dental porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size, or length.

• Dental Implants: Dental implants combine the best of modern science and technology – a successful implant requires that all parties involved – the patient; the restorative dentist, who makes the crown for the implant; and the oral and maxillofacial surgeon, who surgically places the implant, follow a careful plan of treatment. All members of the implant team stay in close contact with each other to make sure everyone clearly understands what needs to be done to meet the patient’s expectations.

• Laser Dentistry: If you consider yourself somewhat of an anxious dental patient and are seeking extreme safety and comfort, you might consider looking for dentists who have incorporated laser dentistry techniques into their practices and treatments.

• Invisible Braces: Having a confident smile can change everything. And invisible braces make the decision easy, because you can get a stunning smile without most people even noticing you’re going through treatment.

• Dynamic Braces: Conventional orthodontic braces are tied with elastics, which cause friction and pressure, making treatment slower and less comfortable. Dynamic braces have a unique slide mechanism that reduces pressure on teeth and allows them to move more comfortably to their correct positions. This new approach to orthodontics ensures greater comfort with these braces throughout the treatment.

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