Zelienople
Cosmetic Dentistry

The food and drinks we consume are a major contributor to tooth discoloration – as are smoking and the aging process itself. Beverages, such as coffee, tea, wine, and fruit juice, are all particularly notorious for staining teeth. It certainly doesn’t help that our teeth naturally become darker with age, as enamel wears away, exposing the yellow-gray dentin layer underneath.

Stains on the outside of your teeth must be removed before you begin a professional whitening. This is done during a regular cleaning appointment with one of our dental hygienists.

We offer three different options when it comes to whitening your teeth at Marion Smile Center:

Option 1: In-Office Teeth Whitening

During your teeth whitening appointment at our office, one of our hygienists will apply the whitening gel to your teeth. Because the gel we use has the highest concentration of hydrogen peroxide (40%) and is only available to dentists, we first apply a protective barrier to the gums. The entire visit takes about 90 minutes to complete. You should notice the results immediately.

Typically, while your teeth are being whitened, an assistant makes your at-home whitening trays, so you can continue to whiten your teeth at home. We recommend that you do touch ups by using your take-home trays every month to remove future staining. Once you whiten, you will never go back to the original darkness or discoloration.

Option 2: Custom-Fit At-Home Whitening Trays

Some patients opt to whiten only at home using our custom-fit trays. We take impressions of your mouth and fabricate custom-fit upper and lower trays that match perfectly to your mouth. Whitening gel is then placed in the custom-fitted trays, which are worn for 30 minutes each day. As the peroxide in the gel breaks down, hydroxyl radicals help whiten the inside of stained teeth. We use the highest concentration of carbamide peroxide (35%), which is available only through dental offices.

At-home tray whitening usually takes 10-14 days, although you may notice results in as little as 3-5 days. Unlike whitening strips, this process whitens all of your natural teeth – not just the parts of teeth the strips adhere to.

Option 3: On-the-Go Whitening Trays

These are pre-formed trays that come with the whitening solution already placed inside the tray. They have a lower concentration of active whitening ingredient (15% hydrogen peroxide) in the solution. Some patients prefer these on-the-go whitening trays, because it does not require using syringes of whitening solution to fill the trays, as the custom-fit option does.

On-the-go whitening trays are available for purchase in our office.

Teeth whitening strips are thin, flexible plastic strips with a thin film of hydrogen peroxide bleaching on one side. Whitening strip kits come with 2 types of strips: strips for the upper teeth and strips for the lower teeth. The whitening agent – with reported strengths of 6% to 14% – is applied by placing the strips across your teeth and gently pressing the strips into place to ensure contact with your teeth. Teeth whitening strips are typically worn for 30 minutes twice per day.

Because strips are only used on the front teeth, this treatment can’t whiten your whole smile – only the portion that has come into contact with the strip. Also, strips often move or come off the teeth altogether. This happens more often with the lower strips, due to the lower lip rubbing against the strip. In the long term, whitening strips are more costly that at-home whitening trays.

For these reasons, we find that results from use of at-home trays far exceed what the strips can do.

We do not offer or recommend whitening strips for our patients. 

No. Unlike whitening materials used in professional whitening procedures – such as with an in-office procedure or custom-fit whitening trays and on-the-go whitening trays  – these products do not lighten the color within your teeth. Instead, whitening toothpastes or mouthwash affect only surface stains and even then, only mildly lighten the outside of your teeth.

At Marion Smile Center, we use Opalescence teeth whitening products. Over the years, we have researched, reviewed, and tested many professional products. Opalescence, in our opinion, is among the best and safest.

Benefits of the Opalescence teeth whitening products we use include:

• Made in the USA. Opalescence whitening gels and syringes are produced right here in the U.S. at the Ultradent Products facility in Utah. Buying from a made-in-the-USA company means you’ll get fresh formulations – not a product that may have been held up or delayed by a third party. By supporting manufacturers doing business here, you’re helping our nation’s economy and helping provide jobs for hundreds of Americans who take pride in what they do.
• Helps reduce tooth sensitivity. Many over-the-counter whitening products dehydrate your teeth, which can result in uncomfortable sensitivity for patients. Opalescence professional tooth whitening gel is made with a high water content to protect against dehydration that can occur during whitening. The high-water content in Opalescence whitening gel is combined with potassium nitrate and fluoride to help reduce the likelihood of residual sensitivity for patients.
• Gluten-free, certified kosher, and sweetened with xylitol. These whitening products are gluten-free and kosher certified to fit in with the varied lifestyles and beliefs of patients. Opalescence professional whitening gel is also sweetened with xylitol, a noncariogenic sugar substitute, for better oral health.

Clear aligners are custom-built for a tight fit, making them ideal for adults or teens. Straightening a child’s teeth is complicated because their mouths are still growing and developing. Therefore, Dr. Marion does not typically recommend clear aligners for children.

You may be a good candidate for clear orthodontic aligners if you have mild to moderate overcrowding or alignment issues. Patients with severe crowding or spacing problems – such as severe underbite, overbite, or crossbite – may need more complex treatment.

One of the first things we will do is take precise digital impressions of your mouth and teeth. You will be fitted for several versions of the aligners that can gradually move your teeth over time. The aligners are made of see-through acrylic material. Clear aligners are designed to fit tightly over your teeth, and can be removed for eating, brushing, and flossing. You will receive a new, slightly adjusted aligner every two weeks to continue moving the teeth into the desired position.

The necessary treatment time with clear aligners is based on how much your teeth need to be moved or rotated. The more crooked or misaligned your teeth or bite are, the longer it will take. The average duration of treatment is between 10 and 24 months. If you are an adult who had braces as a child, and your teeth shifted slightly over the years, you may need clear aligners for a much shorter period of time.

There numerous advantages of clear aligners over braces, including:

• Easy access for oral hygiene. Traditional straightening methods like braces can prevent you from properly cleaning your teeth, resulting in an increased risk of cavities and periodontal woes, such as gingivitis, hyperplasia, bone loss, and even tooth loss. Clear aligners, on the other hand, can be removed to allow you to brush and floss as you normally would.
• Aligners are practically invisible. Braces present cosmetic challenges for those looking to straighten their teeth later in life, or during life events when your appearance is particularly important, such as for a wedding, reunion, or high-visibility work. Clear aligners aren’t obvious, so you can smile knowing you’re straightening your smile on the sly.
• Say goodbye to the pain of sharp wires in your mouth. If you’ve ever had braces, or know someone else who has, you’re already aware of the discomfort associated with having bars and wires in the small, contained space of your mouth. Wax and topical pain relievers can only do so much for cuts, canker sores, and the pain of braces. With clear aligners, those days are over.
• Aligners are a breath of fresh air, literally. Clear aligners don’t leave you susceptible to the sour breath associated with braces. Your aligners can be removed completely for thorough brushing and flossing whenever needed.

The good news is clear aligners require fewer office visits than if you had regular braces. Treatment duration is also typically shorter with clear aligners.

Absolutely! As a matter of fact, clear aligners can address both issues for patients with temporomandibular jaw (TMJ) dysfunction who also wish to straighten their teeth. For these patients, clear aligners have relieved TMJ pain when worn for the required 22 hours a day.

Just as your smile is one-of-a-kind, clear aligners are trimmed to fit your gum line, so your treatment is tailored for your mouth and goals. Each clear aligner tray is designed to provide optimal comfort and appearance for you.

Here are some tips on how to care for your clear aligners:

• Remove aligners before eating
• Always rinse the aligners with cold or lukewarm water after removal – do not use hot water because heat can damage and warp the plastic
• Soak the aligners in retainer or denture cleaner
• Brush and floss your teeth before wearing the aligners
• Clean aligners with mild soap every day – never use toothpaste on your aligners

After you have completed your treatment using clear aligners, a customized clear retainer is made from a mold of your newly straightened teeth. This retainer should be worn while sleeping for a period of time following your treatment to ensure malocclusion does not occur.

Since our bonding material is comprised of a flowable composite material, when it is initially placed, the liquid composite runs into small fissures and cracks in teeth. After this, Dr. Marion will use a curing light to harden the composite material. This results in a more stable and strong restoration.

Bonding is less expensive than other cosmetic treatments – such as veneers or teeth whitening  – and can usually be completed in a single visit to our office.

Tooth-colored composite bonding is aesthetically pleasing and natural looking.

Your cosmetic bonding may stain. It is also easier to chip than other types of cosmetic dental treatments, like veneers. If your bonding chips or breaks, call our office right away. It can typically be repaired easily in a single office visit.

We typically start with a professional cleaning and exam to assure you are a good candidate for a successful smile makeover.

After one of our hygienists has cleaned your teeth, Dr. Marion will perform an examination of your teeth and mouth, including assessment for periodontal (gum) disease. Dr. Marion likes to use the analogy that your teeth, like trees, require nourishing soil (gums) to remain strong and healthy. Once you have healthy pink gum tissue and good overall oral health, we proceed onto the smile makeover.

Yes. After your cleaning and exam, we will schedule a convenient time for you with one of the hygienists on Dr. Marion’s team. The hygienist will perform an in-office teeth whitening. Your new, whiter shade is what Dr. Marion will match your restorations to.

In addition to your professional cleaning, exam, and in-office teeth whitening, you can expect the following:

• One of Dr. Marion’s assistants will perform a full-mouth scan using our high-tech digital impression scanner.
• Dr. Marion will meet with you to discuss various options for restoring your smile.
• Once a comprehensive treatment plan is agreed upon, Dr. Marion will begin restoring your smile.

Dr. Marion’s vast cosmetic dentistry experience has translated into many successful full-mouth smile makeovers for his patients.

He achieved the prestigious designation as a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD) as the result of hundreds of hours of continuing education, advanced training, and certification. Dr. Marion is one of only 5% of dentists who have achieved this distinction. At Marion Smile Center, we are proud of the numerous dentistry honors Dr. Marion has earned.

You may be a good candidate for veneers if your dental issues are relatively minor and don’t require more treatment than a cosmetic fix. Dr. Marion primarily uses them to conceal discoloration and other superficial issues. You may want to consider veneers to correct for the following types of dental issues:

• Stains
• Cracks
• Gaps between teeth
• Alignment issues
• Small teeth

For veneers, the placement process usually takes two appointments, about 2 to 3 weeks apart. The process may involve a single tooth or multiple teeth, depending on your needs.

During your first visit, we will take an impression of your mouth and teeth using our digital scanner and send it electronically to our dental lab. Dr. Marion will get the surface of your tooth ready for the veneer. Your tooth will be cleaned, polished, and etched. He will place a temporary veneer over the tooth until the final veneer is prepared.

At your second appointment, Dr. Marion will bond the final veneer to your tooth and allow it to harden in place using a special light. At Marion Smile Center, we use state-of-the-art Emax veneers when possible, which are crafted from high-quality lithium disilicate and can be customized for each of our patients. This new material is better than porcelain or resin, which we previously used. It is stronger, mimics the light-reflecting properties of natural teeth, is more translucent, and resists staining. Dr. Marion will select the choice of veneer material that works best for you.

Veneers generally last between 7 and 15 years, after which time they may need to be replaced. Once your veneers are in place, the affected teeth should remain in place, with minimal movement. Dr. Marion will recommend a night guard to protect the veneer if you have a habit of grinding or clenching your teeth, as this can cause the veneers to crack or chip.

Dental veneers do not require any special care. However, teeth with veneers can still experience decay. Continue to follow good oral hygiene practices, including regular professional cleanings, at-home brushing, flossing, and rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash as you normally would