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July 22, 2009

Bonding, a cheaper alternative to Porcelain Veneers

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Resin Bonding is a cheaper alternative to porcelain veneers.  Although porcelain veneeers are more durable and lifelike, Resin Bonding can be a great alternative to give you that smile you’ve always wanted and is more budget-friendly at about a third of the cost of porcelain veneers.

Some of the cons of resin bonding are that, over time, they can stain and wear down (as seen in the before photo above, this patient had bonding done about 7-10 years ago).  They are also not as strong as porcelain veneers so they tend to chip and break more over time.

However, for the purposes of achieving a nice smile to be proud of that will last several years,  resin bonding is a great option and a good transition to porcelain veneers someday.  We always recommend as part of any cosmetic case that you whiten your teeth prior to having any work performed on your front teeth.  In this way, we can match the lightest color your natural, whitened teeth will allow. 

Resin-bonding costs approximately $250-350 per tooth, depending on where you live in the country.  Contrastly, porcelain veneers can cost anywhere from $800-1200+ per tooth.

If you’ve always wanted a dazzling smile, visit your dentist today for a smile consultation and if you happen to be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, please give us a call at 817-292-5957 …we’d love to meet you and make your teeth look amazing!

July 17, 2009

Cavity-Prone? Add in an extra brush!

If you would classify yourself as “cavity-prone”, here’s some advice on how you can do your part in cavity-prevention:

1) Brush your teeth 3 times a day.  Most people brush their teeth in the morning, have breakfast, lunch, dinner and then brush their teeth before they go to bed.  Think about it, that’s 8+ hours that food, plaque & tartar are sitting on and around your teeth!  So, take an extra toothbrush (you know, the ones your dentist gives you every 6 months) to work and brush right after lunch.  That’ll cut that time in half and give you better breath throughout the day, too.

2)  Cut down on your sugar intake.  It’s OK to have a sweet tooth, but if you’re bathing your teeth in sugar constantly and not removing the plaque off of your teeth, it’s a recipe for more cavities.  Again, brush in the middle of the day and immediately after eating sweets.  Soft Drinks are a big culprit in causing tooth decay.  Sodas are very acidic and most are very high in sugar.  This combination can be primed for causing cavities.

3)  Use supplemental  fluoride.  This can be in the form of an over-the-counter fluoride rinse, a prescription for fluoride gel written by your dentist, or a prescription toothpaste that has a higher fluoride content than regular toothpaste.  Some people just have cavity-prone teeth that they inherit from a parent or other have teeth that didn’t develop well from some interruption during their childhood.  Whatever the case, for some people preventing cavities is a constant uphill battle that never goes away.

I always tell my cavity-prone patients that they have to work twice as hard as my other patients because “those are the cards they were dealt.”  After all, to some extent, all of us have our faults and at least with cavities, you can do something about it.   I’m only 5′4″ tall…would I like to be 6′ tall?  Of course.  But I can’t do anything about the cards I was dealt.

July 12, 2009

There’s always hope!

Sometimes, things just get away from you.  You take care of other people’s needs and you come last.  Other times, circumstances just don’t allow you to take care of your own needs and pretty soon, you find your self feeling like nothing can be done to save your teeth. 

Don’t give up hope!  In modern dentistry, we have many ways to fix teeth in non-invasive, non-traumatic, predictable ways.  All it takes is a good dentist and the right planning.  Once the plan is established, it’s just a matter of finding a way to fit the cost into your budget and following through with the work.  Many times, in a series of 5-6 visits, we can completely rebuild a mouth with teeth that are permanent and do not have to be taken “in and out.” 

Please visit our website smile gallery or our facebook page to see the before/after photos on what we can do for you!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/#/pages/Fort-Worth-TX/Stovall-Cheng-DDS-PLLC/92775313128

July 10, 2009

First impressions ARE everything

There is a saying: ” You never have a second chance to make a first impression.”  This has never been more true than it is today.  Unfortunately, we live in a vain world in which just about everything revolves around how something or someone looks. 

Your smile is the first thing most people notice…in a social environment, during a job interview, in photos, the list goes on and on.  If you’ve always wanted to be able to smile freely and proudly, please visit our website or Facebook page and see for yourslelf how we can help you. 

Call us for a free consultation today!  817-292-5957

July 5, 2009

Need A New Dentist? We’d Love To Take Care Of You!

Whether you don’t currently have a dentist or are not happy with the care you receive, we’d love to take care of you!  We are an office that puts patient care first!  We are honest, gentle, and provide you with the most up-to-date techniques, equipment and materials available.

A picture says a thousand words…visit any of the blogs listed on our site and you will see that the “proof is in the pudding.”  Our doctors have attended hundreds of hours of continuing education and training courses to become better for our patient’s benefit.  We can handle just about any situation your mouth is in and you won’t be judged for it. 

From replacing missing teeth to making unsightly teeth look like a Hollywood smile, we provide all of your dental needs in our office.   Be sure to click on the “Welcome” button at the top of this page and visit our website.  There you can tour our office, meet the doctors and see more pictures of some of our cases. 

Please call us at 817-292-5957 and schedule an appointment today!

4900 Overton Ridge Boulevard • Suite 112 • Fort Worth, Texas 76132 • 817.292.5957