Bloor Smile Dental logo

Cosmetic Dentistry in
Bloor West Village

You Don’t Have to Hide Your Smile Anymore

Are you too shy to openly smile because of cracked, crooked, discolored, or uneven teeth? You are missing out on a lot of smiling’s superpowers when you don’t have to anymore. A team of professional cosmetic dentists in Toronto passionate about oral health can give you the personalized attention and best oral care you need.

What is the difference between a regular dentist and a cosmetic dentist?

Both regular dentists and cosmetic dentists have the same basic training in general dentistry. A regular dentist, though, focuses more on the general oral care of the entire family while a cosmetic dentist specializes in dental aesthetics.

General dentistry training addresses dental problems linked with oral hygiene, dental discomfort, and pain. So, both regular and cosmetic dentists can fill a cavity, for example, but a cosmetic dentist can use a composite filling to match the color of your teeth so it’ll look better afterward.

If you want to improve your smile by improving the way your teeth, gums, and even bite look, it is best for you to see a cosmetic dentist.

What are the top cosmetic dentistry procedures people avail of?

You can improve your smile and your life in several ways. The following are the most common cosmetic dental procedures availed of by people today, and you can find out which is most applicable for your concern:

1. Teeth whitening in Toronto: You may most benefit from teeth whitening if you regularly smoke, drink tea, coffee, or wine; regularly use antiseptic mouth wash; are aging, or have had trauma to your mouth.

Professional teeth whitening or teeth bleaching (a form of whitening) is the most popular service availed of by many people. You have several options if you want to get your teeth whitened. Although there are many over-the-counter products that also promise to whiten teeth, the teeth whitening methods used by a cosmetic dentist are more reliable and sustainable.

These cosmetic dental methods essentially involve lifting deep stains from your teeth and rendering them several shades lighter and brighter. They use professional teeth-whitening agents that remove teeth discoloration.

You can purchase home kits and trays from the cosmetic dentist if you want to do them yourself at home, but they take longer than if you just sit on a dental chair for an hour or so while the dentist performs the procedure on you more quickly and effectively.

 

Teeth whitening works best on natural enamel, as the whitening agent will not change the colors of fillings, crowns, or veneers.

 

2. Inlays and onlays: These are a form of indirect dental restoration. They are used when a tooth has had too much damage to be restored by a basic filling but not severe enough damage yet that would require a dental crown.

Cosmetic Dentistry Toronto | Bloor Smile DentalInlays and onlays are made outside the mouth as separate and solid pieces that fit the specific shape and size of a patient’s dental cavity and then cemented in place in either premolars or molars, where they are usually needed.

The main difference between the two, is the part and amount of the tooth they cover. Inlays cover the pits and fissures of a tooth and the chewing surface in between the cusps (sharp-pointed points), while onlays cover one or more cusps. If all cusps and the entire surface of the tooth are to be covered, a dental crown is required.

Traditionally, inlays and onlays were made of gold, cast metal and later, ceramic. Today, modern cosmetic dentistry uses CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/ computer-aided manufacturing) technology along with additive and subtractive methods combined with ceramic and other alternative materials.

3. Dental bonding: If you have chips and cracks in your teeth or gaps between them, or you just want to reshape them, then you can avail of dental bonding. This treatment uses resin instead of the traditional metal filling, so the repair doesn’t show as it does with a metal filling. The resin has a range of shades to match the colour of teeth and can also be easily shaped like clay to mimic your tooth. Once the resin is put in place, your cosmetic dentist will shine a special blue light on it to harden the material.

 

4. Dental crowns: In contrast to inlays and onlays, dental crowns cover the entire tooth. They are recommended and designed for teeth that are severely cracked, decayed, worn down from too much tooth grinding or damaged in any other way.

Also called caps, dental crowns are slipped over the compromised tooth to cover it entirely. The damaged tooth is filed to leave a post over which the crown sits and is cemented into place. A dental crown saves the compromised tooth from further damage and lends it support and strength. Schedule a

5. Dental implants: If you have missing teeth and you don’t want to use dentures, then dental implants are for you. Missing teeth are nothing to be embarrassed about; they affect people of all ages. Nearly 70% of adults aged 35 to 44 years have at least one missing tooth, and 1 in 4 people over 74 years old have lost all their teeth.

Dental Implants | Bloor Smile DentalAlthough dentures are less expensive and are removable, they can cause public embarrassment if they slip out of place while you are eating or speaking. If they are not cleaned regularly or fitted properly, they can lead to infection and tooth decay. They also must be regularly replaced after significant wear and tear.

Dental implants involve replacing the entire structure of a tooth with the root included, permanently. This replacement has 3 parts: a titanium post surgically placed in the jawbone, an artificial tooth (usually a crown) above the gum line, and an abutment that connects the jawbone and the crown.

With dental implants, your teeth look more natural than dentures and feel more comfortable. Implants are easier to maintain, and you save yourself any embarrassment that dentures might cause.

6. Dental veneers: If you have small chips or cracks in your front teeth or have worn tooth enamel from too much teeth grinding and teeth clenching, or you want to close gaps between your teeth, or if you have stained teeth that don’t respond well to whitening treatments, you might want to consider veneers.

Although these dental problems can also be treated through bonding, dental veneers are stain- resistant, while the resin in dental bonding may darken over the years.

Dental veneers are very thin pieces of porcelain that are strategically placed over the tooth and give you a natural look that lasts for many years.

Cosmetic Dentistry Toronto | Bloor Smile Dental

This treatment usually requires two visits. The first visit involves your cosmetic dentist taking impressions of your teeth and mouth and sending this to the laboratory that will manufacture your veneer. A small portion of your compromised tooth will also be removed in preparation for the veneer.

Meanwhile, you will get a temporary veneer. The temporary veneer gives you a fair idea of how the final one might look and feel and it’s a great opportunity to request changes to the permanent one.

Now that you are familiar with the most common cosmetic dental procedures and what they are for, it is now time to consider the key criteria for choosing a good cosmetic dentist in Toronto.

How to choose a good cosmetic dentist in Toronto

It should be a dentist who you have a good comfort level with, for ease of communication especially since they will help change the way your teeth and smile look, which will then change your appearance, your sense of self-esteem, and how people perceive you, which in turn can affect the rest of your life.

So what are the key criteria to use when choosing a good cosmetic dentist? There are essentially 5 main factors to consider:

1. The dental clinic is conveniently located near you with a schedule that accommodates yours so that whenever you need follow-ups and check-ups, they are easily accessible.

2. Check their credentials, certifications, experience, and continuing education. They should be well-trained and have a good reputation among the dental community. Assess how much of their training and practice is focused on cosmetic dentistry.

3. Ask for referrals and interview some people who have undergone similar cosmetic procedures that you intend to have. Review the clinic’s portfolio and before-and-after photos. Inquire about their facilities, equipment, and technology, as well as anesthesia used during treatments. You need a cosmetic dentist you can trust, with a proven track record.

4. Schedule a visit and get a feel of their clinic, their team, and their general environment. Is it a place you would feel comfortable visiting more than once? Do you feel good around them? Are they caring about their patients? How do they treat their own staff ? You need those who really care about improving people’s well-being because there is a vast difference in the results of work done out of love and work done for the sake of it.

5. Do they have payment plans to meet your budget and needs? Since elective procedures are typically, not covered by insurance, go with the cosmetic dentist who has payment plans that can meet your resources.

Your professional cosmetic dentists in Toronto Bloor Smile Dental, conveniently located in Bloor West Village, houses Dr. Irma Kacur and Dr. Aarati Balakrishnan, who are passionate about making dental visits soothing to their patients and oral health sustainable for everyone.

Dr. Kacur has over 35 years of experience as a dental practitioner and has been with Bloor Smile Dental since 2001. Originally a graduate of the University of Belgrade, Dr. Kacur moved to Canada and completed her National Dental Examining Board (NDEB) examinations to earn her Canadian Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) license in 1983. Her patients have followed her through the years in her practice. She is specially trained in the Invisalign form of treatment for aligning teeth and in the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique to repair gum recession, instead of traditional surgery.

Dr. Balakrishnan is a dental surgeon who has worked with numerous dental clinics all over the Greater Toronto Area. She earned her dentistry degrees from the Government Dental College in Mumbai, India, and from the University of Toronto. A member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons Ontario and the Ontario Dental Association, she has specialized in dental implants through her various continuing education courses in the United States and Canada.

Both Dr. Kacur and Dr. Balakrishnan share a commitment to excellent service and treatment outcomes, with meticulous care and dedication.

Bloor Smile Dental, equipped with state-of-the-art dental facilities and equipment, is regularly open 6 days a week, but. welcomes new patients and emergency cases as well.

If you would like to find out more about how Bloor Smile Dental can help you, call 416-604-4009 or fill up this form to schedule an appointment now.

Why still hide your smile when you now have a choice?