Repair Your Smile with Veneers

Veneers are a popular treatment option for repairing chipped, worn-down, or cracked teeth. Dental veneers, sometimes called porcelain veneers, are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. In terms of placing veneers, it is a process that takes approximately two to three visits to Dr. David Bishop at Bishop & Bishop Dental.
Veneers are an excellent alternative to crowns in many situations because they offer a much more conservative approach to changing a tooth’s color, size or shape. When bonded to the teeth, they are virtually undetectable and highly resistant to coffee, wine, or even cigarette stains. Therefore, if you are seeking a bright smile that stays perfect, veneers are your best option. Because dental veneers are an irreversible process, it is critical that you are involved and informed every step of the way.
If you have questions or concerns regarding veneers or cosmetic dentistry, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.bishopdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. David Bisop, Dr. Doreinne Taylor-Bishop, and Dr. Alicia Reynolds at Bishop & Bishop Dental here in Silver Spring, Maryland, call 301-608-9270.

White Spot Lesions

When enamel is being eroded, patients won’t always feel something at first. But at the Silver Spring offices of Bishop & Bishop Dental, we teach our patients to recognize incipient dental lesions in the form of white spots.
The chemical interaction of acid with enamel causes teeth to look glazed or chalky as minerals are being lost. This can be observed in people suffering from chronic acid reflux. However, tooth decay is caused by bacterial infections. Bacteria produce acid, which gets trapped in dental plaque, eroding enamel. If decay is allowed to continue, portions of the enamel could be lost entirely, resulting in caries, also known as cavities.
Patients need to be especially wary of white spots developing around the brackets of traditional braces. Other common places for tooth decay are near the gum line and on the sides of teeth. These are signs that patients need to immediately improve their oral hygiene since white spots can form in as short a time as a month. While lost enamel cannot be regrown, enamel that has suffered mineral damage can restore itself. We also have cosmetic treatments to mask white spots after a dental infection has been removed.
David Bishop, DDS and Dorienne Taylor-Bishop, DDS, operate Bishop & Bishop Dental at 8830 Cameron St, #504, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. To set up an appointment, call 301-608-9270 or visit Bishop Dental and fill out acontact sheet.

Intrinsic Stains

Does getting tooth stains removed require you to undergo a root canal? In certain cases, it may. At Bishop & Bishop Dental, we treat our patients with the highest quality of care, and that includes addressing the health concerns underlying a cosmetic issue. That’s why we want our patients to understand what an intrinsic stain is.
Extrinsic stains are those on the surface of the teeth which are caused by what the patient consumes over a long time—dark colas and red wine, smoke, and coffee, for example. These are easy to remove with bleach. But intrinsic stains are caused by something affecting the dental pulp. This could be overexposure to fluoride or tetracycline antibiotics during the tooth’s formation, but if the stain shows up after the tooth’s development, it is probably due to inflamed tissue.
Dental pulp becomes inflamed due to trauma or infection, and it will not heal on its own. While bonding could conceal an intrinsic stain, an infection threatens the patient’s well-being, and possibly their life, so the pulp must be removed through a root canal. Once the tooth has been filled and sealed, our doctors can determine whether it needs to be bonded or given a new crown.
David Bishop, DDS and Dorienne Taylor-Bishop, DDS, operate Bishop & Bishop Dental at 8830 Cameron St, #504, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. To set up an appointment, call 301-608-9270 or visit Bishop Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Dental Bonding in Silver Spring, MD

Of all the cosmetic and restorative procedures we offer at our office in Silver Spring, MD, bonding is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to enhance your smile. Called bonding because tooth-colored resin is bonded to your teeth, the procedure is used to repair teeth that are discolored, unevenly shaped or chipped. At Bishop & Bishop Dental, we can even use bonding as an attractive alternative to amalgam fillings.

Bonding is achieved by applying incredibly strong resin to the tooth in need of restoration. The procedure can usually be accomplished in one visit and allows you to keep most of your tooth’s enamel, which makes bonding preferable to veneers in many cosmetic cases. Once the right color resin has been chosen for your smile, Dr. David Bishop will apply an adhesive gel to your tooth or teeth to help the resin adhere. The putty-like resin is then applied to your tooth and molded and smoothed until it is in the proper shape. After it is hardened with an LED light, Dr. Bishop will trim and shape it even more and then polish it until shines like a tooth. Altogether, the procedure usually takes between 30 minutes to an hour for one tooth.

If you’re unhappy with your teeth but unwilling to go as far as veneers, bonding can be used to improve your smile quickly and effectively. To schedule an appointment with our office, call us at (301) 608-9270. For more information, visit www.bishopdental.com.

Veneers

If there are aspects of your teeth that you’re unhappy with, you don’t have to live with them. Veneers are an effective method for reshaping and redesigning your entire smile in Silver Spring, MD. Whether your teeth have gaps, persistent stains, cracks, chips or other issues, these thin, ceramic or porcelain shells can cover the existing tooth structure in your mouth to give you a smile you will be proud to show off.

Having veneers placed usually only takes two to three visits to our office. During the first visit, you will be able to discuss the shape and look of the smile you want to accomplish with Dr. David Bishop, and then he will prepare your teeth. Once the enamel has been prepared, an impression will be taken of your mouth so that the veneers can be designed and fabricated to fit over your existing teeth.

Your second visit will be after your veneers have been completed, a process that can take up to two weeks. The veneers will then be bonded to your teeth to create an attractive smile that both looks good and feels natural. With proper home care and regular cleanings at Bishop & Bishop Dental, you can enjoy your new smile for 5 to 10 years, after which they should be replaced.

To schedule an appointment, call (301) 608-9270. For more information, visit www.bishopdental.com.

Snap-On Smile

If you’re looking to improve your teeth and increase your confidence, Snap-On Smile provides a way for you to makeover your smile without extensive dental procedures. This procedure can solve your teeth insecurities and help you feel great about the way you look in only two visits to our office in Silver Spring, MD.

 

Without having to undergo extensive dental work, you can snap on a new smile with a custom set of teeth that fit right over your existing ones, covering up stains, chips, cracks and any crooked or missing teeth. During the first visit, you and Dr. David R. Bishop or Dr. Dorienne Taylor-Bishop will pick the shade and style of your new smile, and then he or she will take an impression of your teeth for proper fitting. Then the Snap-On Smile is made with a light and durable resin to create a set of teeth that are strong yet still thin enough to snap onto your smile. You need only wait three weeks between appointments, and when your new smile is snapped on, you will be able to leave our office with a grin you will love to show off.

 

With Snap-On Smile, you will be able to eat and drink normally, and the cosmetic device can easily be removed for cleaning your natural teeth, for participating in sporting events and for sleep. Snap-On Smile can last for three to five years with proper care.

 

Schedule an appointment with Bishop & Bishop Dental by calling (301) 608-9270. For more information, visit www.bishopdental.com. 

Effects of Red Wine, White Wine, Soda, and More on Teeth

Effects of Red Wine, White Wine, Soda, and More on Teeth

Here in our dental practice in Silver Spring, MD, we offer a variety of treatments and procedures within cosmetic, restorative and periodontal dentistry. However, some of the procedures our patients need can actually be prevented by avoiding certain foods and drinks that cause discoloration, staining, and increased decay due to the sugar content. It is important that we educate our patients on the effects of red wine, white wine, soda and other sugary drinks on their oral health.

 

Food and drinks that can cause increased tooth decay, discoloration, and erosion of the enamel include:

• Wine
• Dark sodas
• Tea
• Sports drinks
• Sauces like tomato or soy sauce
• Berries
• Sweets and sugary snacks

These foods and drinks have a high sugar and acid content, which can damage the enamel of teeth. Some of these beverages, such as tea, can stain the enamel. Patients who still choose to drink wine, soda or tea regularly are encouraged to brush their teeth more often. Even swishing your mouth with plenty of water can help wash some of the acid and sugar from your teeth. Reducing your intake of these food and beverages as much as possible decreases the risk of discoloration that might require regular teeth whitening procedures to restore your smile.

 

Call our dentist, Dr. David Bishop, at 301-608-9270 to learn more about the effects of drinks and foods on your teeth.

Effects of Red Wine, White Wine, Soda, and More on Teeth

Effects of Red Wine, White Wine, Soda, and More on Teeth

Here in our dental practice in Silver Spring, MD, we offer a variety of treatments and procedures within cosmetic, restorative and periodontal dentistry. However, some of the procedures our patients need can actually be prevented by avoiding certain foods and drinks that cause discoloration, staining, and increased decay due to the sugar content. It is important that we educate our patients on the effects of red wine, white wine, soda and other sugary drinks on their oral health.

 

Food and drinks that can cause increased tooth decay, discoloration, and erosion of the enamel include:

• Wine
• Dark sodas
• Tea
• Sports drinks
• Sauces like tomato or soy sauce
• Berries
• Sweets and sugary snacks

These foods and drinks have a high sugar and acid content, which can damage the enamel of teeth. Some of these beverages, such as tea, can stain the enamel. Patients who still choose to drink wine, soda or tea regularly are encouraged to brush their teeth more often. Even swishing your mouth with plenty of water can help wash some of the acid and sugar from your teeth.

 

Reducing your intake of these food and beverages as much as possible decreases the risk of discoloration that might require regular teeth whitening procedures to restore your smile.

Call our dentist, Dr. David Bishop, at 301-608-9270 to learn more about the effects of drinks and foods on your teeth.