Procedures

Delivering Beautiful Smiles with Quality Cosmetic Dentistry

young asian couple playing at the park

Feeling good about your smile gives you a boost to your confidence and can make social interactions more enjoyable. Dr. Paul Tanaka has years of experience helping our Honolulu neighbors achieve the smiles they love through cosmetic dentistry.

Do you see something in your smile’s reflection that you wish you could do something about? We’re here to help you do it! Schedule your cosmetic consultation today to see what we can do for your smile!

CALL US: 808-737-6229 REQUEST APPOINTMENT


What Can Cosmetic Dentistry Do?

Cosmetic dentistry offers multiple services to help you address things you dislike about your smile. Whether you want a simple touch-up or something more dramatic, we can design a custom cosmetic treatment to craft your ideal smile.

Our cosmetic services include:

  • Teeth Whitening – Brighten your smile by up to eight shades with potent professional whitening.
  • Veneers – These customized porcelain shells are your solution for chips, gaps, and discolored teeth.
  • Composite Fillings – Combat tooth decay without detracting from your smile.
  • CEREC® Same-Day Crowns – Quickly and conveniently transform your tooth with a sturdy customized crown made right in our office.
  • Dental Implants – Transform your smile by replacing teeth with well-crafted implant-supported restorations.

Teeth Whitening

Stained enamel is one of the strongest things that can negatively impact the state of your smile. Fortunately, it’s also one of the simplest issues to fix.

Before and after shot of professional teeth whitening

We deliver professional-strength teeth whitening services to help you eliminate discoloration and restore your teeth to their natural brilliance. Whether you’re interested in a potent whitening session in the office or whitening comfortably at home, we’ll provide what you need to enjoy your best smile.

What Causes Yellow Teeth?

Most cases of yellow teeth are due to exposure to certain foods and drinks. Dark pigments leave trace stains just below the enamel surface, and over time, these stains become more and more visible, discoloring your enamel. Teeth whitening uses a potent bleaching gel to lift these stains and restore your natural enamel color.

It’s also possible for teeth to become discolored from other things, such as an accident, teeth grinding, medications, and even acid reflux. These causes may not be receptive to teeth whitening, and a different cosmetic treatment, such as veneers, may be more effective.

Your Teeth Whitening Options

There are two options for you to choose from when it comes to teeth whitening: in-office and take-home. Both have their positives, so it’s up to you to choose which method best meets your needs.

Beautiful young woman looking at her smile on a mirror in the dentist's office

In-Office Whitening Service

Whitening in the office is a simple treatment that takes about an hour to complete. We’ll show you where your teeth rank on a shade chart before and after treatment so you can easily see your results. Some patients have had their teeth lightened up to eight shades!

During an in-office treatment, we use professional techniques to deliver safety, comfort, and effective results. The professional-grade bleaching gel lifts stains from your teeth, while our dental team carefully monitors your treatment to minimize sensitivity. When finished, you can walk out of our office with a brighter smile, ready for any big event or to simply enjoy your day-to-day.

Close up of home teeth whitening kit

Take-Home Whitening Kits

When your schedule makes extended in-office visits difficult, a take-home kit may be the perfect solution. A brief office visit to make impressions for your custom whitening tray is all we need, and when it’s ready, you can pick up your custom whitening kit and use it when and where it’s most convenient for you.

A few short, simple sessions of whitening deliver visible results, and these kits also make touching up your smile for important moments easy to do. Best of all, the kit and whitening trays are yours for life, and you can easily get a refill of the whitening gel whenever you need it.

Is Professional Whitening Better than Over-the-Counter Whitening?

There are many teeth whitening products available for retail, from toothpaste brands to whitening strips. These products can be useful for light touch-ups but aren’t potent enough to handle the same level of staining as professional products. Moreover, without professional oversight, there is a chance of over-bleaching, which can weaken your enamel and cause sensitivity, or permanently change the color of your teeth.

If you’re simply looking for daily maintenance, whitening toothpaste will serve you well. For more substantial discoloration, a professional teeth whitening session is your best and safest bet.

Is Teeth Whitening Permanent?

Teeth whitening can lift stains that have built up over several years, and it will take a long time for the stains to reappear. Unfortunately, stains can’t be stopped forever.

To help your whitening treatment last as long as possible, there are a few things you can do. Monitor your consumption of staining foods and drinks, like coffee, soda, spaghetti sauce, and dark berries. When you do eat or drink them, follow it up with water to help rinse your mouth. Brush your teeth regularly with whitening toothpaste, and always be sure to keep your six-month cleanings.


Veneers

3D render of dental veneers

If you want to change more about your smile than simple stained enamel, veneers may be the cosmetic treatment for you. Veneers fit over the front surfaces of your smile’s most prominent teeth, allowing them to conceal issues like gaps, cracks, chips, and discoloration. These thin porcelain shells are the secret behind many screen-worthy smiles, and each one is custom-designed to fit your smile.

5 Benefits of Veneers

When it comes to cosmetic transformations, it’s easy to see why veneers are a popular choice for many.

  1. Effective: Veneers fit over a tooth and conceal any number of dental issues behind a realistic ceramic shell.
  2. Customization: Each veneer is custom-made to look natural and flattering in your unique smile.
  3. Versatile: Anything from chipped teeth to gaps, to discoloration and minor misalignment can all be transformed by veneers.
  4. Gentle: Veneers require only minor preparation of the tooth for placement, leaving most of your tooth completely unaffected.
  5. Durable: A careful bonding process ensures that your veneers stay in place for years, even with daily biting and chewing. They’re also resistant to staining!

What’s It Like Getting Veneers?

Patient choosing correct shade of veneers at dentists office

Dr. Tanaka makes the veneers process straightforward and not stressful. To begin, he asks questions to get a clear understanding of what you want to change and how veneers can help you. When designing your veneers, he evaluates not only your goals, but how to make the veneers flatter your facial features, including mouth shape, skin tone, and bone structure.

A skilled dental lab crafts your veneers according to Dr. Tanaka’s design. Once they’re ready, he buffs the surface of your teeth to keep them from looking bulky and create a firm bond. The veneers are bonded with dental cement, and finally, you’re ready to walk out of the office with a brand new smile.

Do Veneers Look Real?

Absolutely! Each veneer is carefully crafted to look as close to a natural tooth as possible. The ceramic material is specially chosen for its similarity to the luster and translucency of tooth enamel, giving it a realistic appearance. Dr. Tanaka takes great care in designing veneers that look good and flattering to your smile.


What if My Smile Needs Repairs?

Your oral health is the most important thing, and if your smile has health issues, those need to be addressed before anything else. Fortunately, many restorations also offer cosmetic benefits that maintain and even enhance the look of your smile.

Composite Fillings – Treating tooth decay no longer has to hurt your smile aesthetic. White composite fillings are perfectly shade-matched to the surrounding enamel, allowing them to blend in naturally. They also require less space for placement and contain no mercury.

Ceramic Crowns – When teeth need extra protection, these crowns provide strength and security from decay or damage while also looking and functioning like a normal tooth.

Implant-Supported Restorations – Implants can be used to replace anything from a single tooth to an entire dental arch. These restorations are made to be functional and lifelike, restoring your health and appealing smile all at once.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Crown?

close up of ceramic dental crown

Most of the time, a crown would take an average of two weeks to receive as it is being prepared by a dental lab. However, our office features CEREC crowns, which are custom-made right in our office. With this innovative technology, you can receive a ceramic crown in as little as two hours so that you can walk out with a brand new crown the same day as your treatment.

This machine mills the crown out of a high-end ceramic shaded to match your enamel. It relies on 3D imaging of your tooth for the design, ensuring a comfortable custom fit. Once the machine is finished, Dr. Tanaka places the crowns and makes any final adjustments, then bonds it into place. You now have a beautiful new crown that looks, feels, and functions just like a normal tooth!


Your Ideal Smile is Here!

Whatever you’d like to see changed in your smile, Dr. Tanaka has the skill and experience to help you achieve it. For customized cosmetic dental care made with top-quality materials, contact our Honolulu office to get started today!

CALL US: 808-737-6229 REQUEST APPOINTMENT


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