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culver city cosmetic dentist

Digital Smile Design

Digital Smile Design

Ever wanted to see what it would look like if you were able to design your smile? If architects can draw up designs for the final outcome, us cosmetic dentists can do the same with a few technological aids. 


For a flat rate of $80 per tooth desired to have changed, working from a 2D photo and 3D scans of your teeth, we can create together a highly esthetic yet conservative restorative treatment plan for teeth based on your desired smile.


The total amount of time needed for this appointment is as little as one hour and we are able to get the first initial proposal in as little as 24 hours. 


From the final agreed upon digital proposal, we can fabricate the desired outcome with desktop stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer and do an intra oral mock up.  Digital smile design is perfect for patients to visualize and understand your comprehensive treatment options.  


From the following is an example of the process. Images except those watermarked are taken from Form Labs, a 3D Printing company.

https://formlabs.com/blog/digital-smile-design-with-3d-printing/

Example of a 3D scan of the patients teeth and the digital smile design mockup super imposed on the digital model.

Example of a 3D scan of the patients teeth and the digital smile design mockup super imposed on the digital model.

A putty impression of the 3D printed digital smile design.

A putty impression of the 3D printed digital smile design.

Here the putty copy of the digital smile design is being applied directly into the mouth.

Here the putty copy of the digital smile design is being applied directly into the mouth.

Example of a mock up try in, see instantly the proposed changes.

Example of a mock up try in, see instantly the proposed changes.

Composite Veneers - Alternatives to Porcelain

Composite Veneers - Alternatives to Porcelain

In this most recent case, Dr Lawrence was able to restore the patients worn teeth without the need to shave teeth down.  In this case, due to the nature of the wear, we were able to do an additive process-- adding composite bonding to the face side of the patient's teeth.  Porcelain veneers are also a great option for these cases but they do require some slight reduction of the teeth.  The patient at this time was not ready to have her teeth prepped down for veneers and so composite veneers in this situation was the most ideal treatment option.  The cost per composite veneer ranges from $850 per tooth.  

Before

wornteeth.jpg

After

composite_veneers_lawrence_fung.jpg

Special thanks to Dr. Rana Shahi for performing the gorgeous esthetic crown lengthening gum surgery before we had restored the teeth with composites provided by Ivoclar Vivadent USA.

Charcoal Toothpaste?

Looking for alternatives to regular teeth whitening?  At Silicon Beach Dental, the types of teeth whitening we offer is take home custom bleaching trays and in-office teeth whitening which are great ways to whiten your teeth but not necessarily the most cost effective for regular maintenance.  In the following link, Dr Lawrence talks about some whitening alternatives including the use of charcoal toothpaste.

“It’s recommended to avoid any type of whitening toothpaste or charcoal toothpastes if patients have a ton of tooth recession [or] sensitivity,” cosmetic dentist Lawrence Fung, DDS, founder of Silicon Beach Dental in California, tells Teen Vogue. “My recommendation on charcoal toothpaste is to use it like everything else: in moderation.”
— https://www.teenvogue.com/story/hello-products-activated-charcoal-fluoride-free-whitening-toothpaste-review

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/hello-products-activated-charcoal-fluoride-free-whitening-toothpaste-review

Are You Afraid of the Dentist?

Well fear not, there are many things you can do to help alleviate that fear.  In this article that was recently published in the NY Post, I touched upon a few things that can help you take back control of your oral health!

While going to the dentist can be scary, some of the ways you can help alleviate those feelings is by seeking a dentist who truly places a high emphasis on creating a welcoming environment to make you feel comfortable. When seeking a dentist, be sure to take a look at their bios and have an office tour to see if the place is welcoming.

Foods We Dentists Love But Avoid

Recently Dr. Lawrence Fung was quoted in Readers Digest again.  In this article he amongst other dentists from around the country talk about foods they love but do avoid.  Hopefully the article linked here sheds some light on foods to avoid!

“15 Foods Dentists Never Eat—and You Shouldn’t Either”

https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/foods-dentists-never-eat/
“It's not just gummy bears, but all gummy-style candies should be avoided like the plague because they ruin teeth says Lawrence Fung, DDS, a cosmetic dentist at Silicon Beach Dental and spokesperson for Hello "Naturally Friendly" Oral Care. "They are terrible for your teeth since they stick to all areas of the tooth and the longer the contact the sweets have with the teeth, the more acid gets produced by cavity-causing bacteria."

9 Surprising Foods That Prevent Tooth Decay

Recently we were quoted in Readers Digest on a story about some foods that are great ways to prevent tooth decay naturally.  The following is an excerpt from the piece courtesy of RD.  

https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/foods-that-prevent-tooth-decay/

“Plain yogurt is loaded with calcium, vitamin D, and immunity-boosting probiotics, so you may not be surprised to find dairy on our list of tooth decay-fighters. However, you'll be excited to learn that yogurt has both mouth-healthy and gut-healthy properties, says Lawrence Fung, DDS, a cosmetic dentist located in Playa Vista adjacent area of Culver City and spokesperson for Hello Oral Care, a natural-focused dental hygiene company. "Since our teeth are made up of calcium, foods containing calcium are great at building up our teeth's enamel," he explains of how to prevent cavities. "To help increase the uptake of calcium in our teeth, foods that contain vitamin D, magnesium, and phosphorus can help as well."

The Test Drive

The Test Drive

Excellence in function and aesthetic dentistry is never achieved by accident.  It is with heavy planning in the form of data collecting, diagnosis and communication that leaves to highly predictable outcomes that helps us meet and exceed our patient’s aesthetic expectations. 

Whenever someone comes to our office as a new patient, your first visit is for data collection.  The goal of data collection consists of acquiring medical and dental information.  We obtain prior dental history, photograph your existing dental condition, check for oral cancer, establish caries risk, evaluate how the teeth come together, and the health of the periodontium (the gum and bone, supporting structures of the teeth). 

Aside from gathering clinical details, the most important data we collect is the needs and desires of our patients.   From there, we establish whether our office is the best solution for your needs.   Existing and new patients that have cosmetic needs will get the opportunity using photography and digital smile design to get a preview of any requested or proposed changes. 

So what is digital smile design?  Digital smile design utilizes your photographs, from there we can alter the teeth shape and color in accordance to your desires.  From there we can preview the proposed changes digitally.  After the patient signs off, we will then send molds of your teeth and the appropriate photographs to a ceramist who will then create in wax (diagnostic) the proposed changes.  Once we receive the diagnostic wax-up back, we will then do a test drive in the mouth, using temporary material you will get to evaluate the proposed changes while staying in a reversible state. 

The following video highlights the process of evaluation to diagnostic wax-up to the test drive. 

Blending Art and Science

Blending Art and Science

In this photo, a preparation was scanned and a 3D model was printed. The STereoLithography (STL) file was sent to two separate labs with two different price points. Both labs were given the same amount of time to work on the restoration and each uni…

In this photo, a preparation was scanned and a 3D model was printed. The STereoLithography (STL) file was sent to two separate labs with two different price points. Both labs were given the same amount of time to work on the restoration and each unit was tried on the same model to check for the accuracy of fit. The results are clear as shown by the restorations on the right side--a high quality lab technician is irreplaceable, irrespective of the costs.

At SiliconBeach.Dental, we are very proud and honored to work with such an amazing team of staff and network of specialists.  There is one team member that rarely gets the credit they deserve, our lab technicians.  In dentistry, crowns, veneers, dentures, and partials are made in a laboratory by a technician.  

A highly skilled lab technician is able to blend the eye of an artist with the precision of a scientist.  With the use of CAD/CAM technology, 3D Printing, digital scanning, 3D facial analysis, cloud computing and digital photography,  these artists can create restorations that truly mimic what nature had given us.

Thank you Makomic, Beverly Hills Dental Lab, and Ultimate Styles for helping me provide the best for our patients from Playa Vista, Culver City, Fox Hills, Ladera Heights, and many other neighborhoods within Silicon Beach.  

http://www.makomic.com/

http://www.beverlyhillsdentallab.com/

http://ultimate-dl.com/

Sincerely, 

Dr. Lawrence Fung, DDS

 

Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Options

Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Options

No longer is it necessary to remove more tooth structure than necessary to get an aesthetic result. In the earlier days of dentistry, due to limitations of materials and techniques, it was common for dentists to recommend multiple porcelain veneers or crowns in the front to fix simple shade and shape issues.  With better materials and a clearer understanding of how to use these new materials, no longer are such invasive solutions necessary.  While porcelain is a great material for crowns and veneers, teeth whitening and direct composite bonding can be a very aesthetic yet cost effective way to address your various cosmetic needs.  In this video, the steps to do a direct composite veneer are demonstrated.   Contact our office to make an appointment for a consultation to see if you are an ideal candidate for this minimally invasive procedure!  #smilesbd #hellobetter

Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

Does drinking wine through a straw really help prevent wine staining? Do those at-home whitening strips work? 


Before we dive into some stain treatment tips, lets go into what it is, how does it occur? After I go into the various types of stains can we then find out what are some options for treatment, when do we know we need to bring a professional in? And most important of all, how do we prevent it?  

What is it? 
There are three ways teeth can get staining- either internally or on the outer surface, or by natural aging.  For internal staining, that can be developmental (born with it) in origin, or in some cases where a young infant ingests too much fluoridated water (which is rare but happens more often in parts of the country where there is a higher unregulated natural occurring concentration of fluoride in the water), too high of fluoride intake during development can lead to staining of the permanent teeth even if the baby teeth were unaffected. For external stains, those are usually caused by our office favorites; wine and coffee. The last kind, which is less talked about, is how the dentin (the inner portion of the tooth) is naturally yellow and our teeth naturally appear more yellow as we age since the enamel that covers the teeth get thinner.  

How to treat? 
So what can we do about these stains?  Depending the cause of the staining treatment options vary.  The easiest stains to deal with are the surface stains.  Most common, especially on social media is teeth bleaching.  For teeth whitening bleaching, they can be purchased from the store or from your dentist.  Whitening toothpaste is a great option, however they aren’t very effective in many cases. Whitening toothpaste also has a higher abrasive content and so if you have gum recession, it may not be the best choice.  In a future post, we’ll go over whitening; at-home versus in-office, to the stuff you see all over on social media.  

When should I call my dentist? 
It is highly recommended that you consult with your dentist before attempting to address any staining concerns. In our practice, our job is to help our patients find out the root cause of the staining problem and present the most conservative treatment option to address that. Like most things in life, there isn’t a one-size solution that fits all.  You dentist should be able to recommend the appropriate treatment options- whether an at-home remedy or in-office option.   

Most importantly
Ok, now to the most important part of this post.  As always, we like to save the best for last.  Prevention, prevention, prevention.  No matter what type of procedure you decide to go with to whiten teeth, there are relapses that occur.  So unless you want to keep purchasing whitening in perpetuity, here are a few tips that I recommend.  


Keep up with your brushing!  Brush at least twice a day.  Rinse with water after having wine, coffee, or other drinks and foods that can stain your teeth.  Also, keep up with your regular cleanings.  The cleanings will help reduce the amount of plaque and calculus (tartar) buildup, which will allow your teeth to stay stain free as well.  And yes, drinking things through a straw can help but not as much as you would think.  The fluid will still make contact with your teeth.   Glass Dharma makes a great reusable glass straw so you can keep enjoying you glass of yummy merlot from Malibu Wines or that cup of joe from Blue Bottle!  


For more tips, follow us on our instagram which can be found on our office website-- http://siliconbeach.dental