Cosmetic Dentistry

Planet Dentists have many years of experience in Cosmetic dentistry.

1. Tooth Whitening – As Dr Gavin says, “Over the past 20 years we have seen tooth whitening go from the occasional patient request to numerous requests weekly!”.  This has truly become one of the most sought after dental treatments ever.  At Planet Dental we take extreme care in our technique to keep you and your mouth safe from the whitening process as the chemicals used can be strong.  We are not concerned with the contact to the tooth enamel but more the soft tissues of your mouth i.e lips, gums, tongue, cheeks, and palate.  This is why you must have a fully qualified dental professional carrying out your whitening.  All of our Dentists and Therapists are fully qualified and up to date on all things cosmetic.  We carry out two forms of whitening – the ‘In-Chair’ and the ‘At-Home’ techniques. In most cases, we will use both together which can take up to two weeks for a final result.  Tooth whitening is not appropriate for all patients so you need to chat with your dentist to find out more.
2. Composite resin restorations (white fillings) – This is the primary restorative material at Planet.  It is completely free of harmful metals and is the world’s no.1 alternative to the amalgam mercury filling.  We use composite to restore due to its great function and cosmetics.  It can be used for front and back teeth as it is very strong and looks like natural enamel.  It does have a clinical limit if the filling needs to be quite large and possibly there isn’t enough natural tooth structure to bond onto.  Composites are made up of a matrix and a filler.  The matrix is typically BisGMA which is a methacrylate resin which does NOT include any worrying BPA. The filler is typically a silicate/glass material to give wearing strength and cosmetic enhancement.  Silane is the ingredient to couple the matrix and the filler together.
3. Porcelain (ceramic) Veneers – This a thin layer of porcelain to cover discoloured, cracked, fractured, badly shaped, and crooked teeth. It only covers the front section of your tooth. Primarily used on front teeth and especially uppers. It can be the ceramic restoration of choice to keep the dentistry to a minimum as there is only a small amount of tooth to reduce by the dentist. This tooth preparation, which is a small reduction of the front surface enamel, is very minimal so that the porcelain can actually sit on your tooth and look perfectly part of your tooth. When veneers are placed on most of the front teeth it can be known as the ‘Hollywood Smile!’. These can also be made in composite resin (white filling material) however, porcelain has higher strength and better cosmetics. The process can take as little as two appointments with only 1-2 weeks from start to finish.
4. Porcelain (ceramic) Crowns – Crowns, or Caps, are the dentist’s best restoration for strength and cosmetics.  This is because they actually cover most or in some cases, the entire tooth structure.  They are particularly useful when a tooth is very broken down or already has a very large filling that needs replacement.  The general rule of whether a crown is required clinically or not is the amount of natural tooth structure left after a fracture or removal of a filling.  The dentists at Planet Dental will attempt to maintain your own natural tooth structure before we decide to crown.  If a crown is required it will restore function and appearance. Some patients ask for crowns for aesthetic reasons only and this can be discussed with your dentist. Materials used at Planet are all ceramic-based which are more biocompatible to the body than metal alloy based crowns – these alloys can have some known harmful metals included and cannot always be determined and quantified exactly. Our favourite material at this time is Zirconium which is mined here in WA and is an inert metal that will actually crystallise and becomes extremely strong.  To put it in simple terms, Zirconia is approximately 10 times stronger than human enamel!  Our Lab technicians are experts in the milling and creating of these crowns and they will look as perfect as a tooth should be.  On some occasions, we also agree with a full Gold restoration due to the high gold content (approx 80%) with pure silver and a small amount of copper.  These metal crowns are not to be confused with metal fillings that include mercury.  We are a mercury-free and mercury-safe practice.
5. Porcelain (ceramic) Bridges – When we lose a tooth we require it to be replaced for function and/or cosmetics. A bridge is one option that a dentist has to construct a new tooth for you.  A bridge is basically a crown as above but rather than being placed onto your tooth it is placed into the gap between your teeth.  The adjacent teeth then have to support this ‘false’ tooth but being crowned themselves or minimally bonded to.  The different designs of a bridge can be discussed with your dentist as each is quite specific to your needs.
6. Implants – The dental implant is at this time the no.1 choice for most patients regarding the replacement of a single tooth, several teeth, or all teeth! An implant is actually an artificial tooth root inserted into the jawbone. It will then either retain or support a further restoration. This is normally a ceramic crown, a bridge, or a full plate (denture).  At Planet Dental we will refer our patients to our preferred Implantologist/prosthodontist. They will insert the implant which over time will become part of your actual jawbone. This is called Osseointegration. We will then construct and fit the crown or bridge that is required depending upon how many teeth are missing. An implant can carry up to a 99% success rate and last for many years in comparison to other forms of dentistry. So whether you are about to lose a tooth, already have a missing tooth, or already have dentures, please have a chat with your dentist regarding treatment options.
7. Orthodontics – Planet Dental offers most forms of Orthodontics within a general dental practice. With Drs Gavin and Nathan, we cover; Removable appliances – These are sometimes called plates and can be taken out of the mouth by the patient. Usually, thy are used for gentle or small tooth movements and can be very handy for treating problems before fixed braces.  Functional appliances – These are removable appliances or plates (very rarely fixed into the mouth) that utilise growth from pre-teen years to change the teeth and bite into a better position. Most of the time further fixed braces will be needed to achieve straighter teeth cosmetically.  Fixed braces – These are bonded onto the teeth and therefore, are worn 24 hours per day for the whole time frame of the tooth movement. This is usually 12-24 months. We only use cosmetic or clear brace fittings to reduce any cosmetic concerns during your braces. If Dr Gavin feels the orthodontic problems are more advanced then he will refer to a specialist orthodontist for further consultation.  Prestige Aligner System – This is a system that Dr Gavin prefers due to its simplicity and local orthodontic labwork. The system allows the taking of impressions or scans of the teeth and with aid of computer technology, we can determine how to move the teeth into a better position and approximate how long (and costly) the procedure will be. The aligner is a small removable and clear fitted mouthguard, that over a period of time changes the positioning of your teeth using a sequential system. Dr Gavin has been using different aligner systems for many years and was extremely excited to be able to use a WA product with a local lab situated in Perth. Dr Gavin has worked with David Owens as his orthodontic technician for many years and has always considered his friend to be the best orthodontic lab in Australia!