Our Services
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are the most conservative esthetic restorations available in dentistry today. A thin layer of the front of the tooth is removed to allow a veneer of porcelain to be bonded to the tooth without making it any thicker. Similar, in a way, to a false fingernail, the veneer covers dark or yellow teeth, fills unsightly gaps, lengthens short or stubby teeth, straightens crooked teeth, and in general creates a more attractive smile. Unlike a false fingernail, veneers are more permanent. The veneers are attached to the teeth using the most advanced methods of bonding principles.
Smile Design
Smile design is simply the complete transformation of your smile. Every patient has different needs and desires. Crooked teeth can be straightened. Missing teeth can be replaced. Worn or chipped teeth can be restored. Stained teeth can be whitened. Ugly and "unhealthy" silver-mercury amalgams can be replaced with natural -looking restorations. Gums can be contoured to reveal more of your teeth, reducing the appearance of a "gummy" smile or to make them more symmetrical. Like you, your smile is unique. Dr. Griffin takes great care in designing a smile that compliments you. We take a series of facial measurements and photographs that help us create a smile that is in proportion to your bone structure, skin tone, age, and gender. We want your smile to enhance your appearance and look completely natural. The possibilities are endless.
Implants
Dental implants are the most advanced therapy available to replace missing teeth. Whether it is a single tooth, multiple teeth, or a denture that is implant-retained, implants are the present and future for tooth replacement. Dental implants are root replacements for missing teeth. Replacement teeth are created by Dr. Griffin and his implant restoration team. Dental implant restorations generally look, feel and act like natural teeth.
Did you know that oral health is a major factor of good general health? Replacing your missing teeth with dental implants and implant crowns should allow you to live your life as if you had never suffered from missing teeth. When your dental implant treatment is complete, you should be able to chew, speak and socialize without experiencing the negative emotions that missing teeth can sometimes cause.
Dental implants with implant crowns will help minimize the amount of bone that will be lost in the areas of missing teeth. Preserving oral bone may help maintain your remaining natural teeth and natural facial contours. Replacing your missing teeth with dental implants may also reduce your risk of having poorer nutritional habits often found in patients who do not replace missing teeth or patients that have poor fitting dentures.
Although dental implants may sometimes have a higher initial cost, when all the ongoing expenses of other treatment options are added up, most people would agree that dental implants are more than worth it!
When you contrast the time investment that dental implant therapy requires versus the repeated office visits required for adjustments, special cleanings and replacements for partials, bridges and dentures, it is easy to imagine how much better life can be with dental implants.
Non-Metal Fillings
Tooth colored fillings are called "composites" or "resins". Cosmetically these are beautiful restorations compared to the silver one that everyone sees when patients laugh or smile. If used in the right circumstances, composites can last for many years. They are invisible, strong and help patients feel like there was never a cavity there at all. The composites are a very hard "plastic" that chemically bonds to the tooth to hold the tooth together. Amalgams (silver-colored fillings) have multiple disadvantages. Amalgam contains mercury, a toxic metal which expands and contracts with hot, cold temperature foods. Therefore, with every meal the teeth are being weakened and over time the tooth becomes susceptible to fracturing. Ask Dr. Griffin if composite resins are best for you, and how you can comfortably change silver teeth to beautiful, natural-looking teeth. It will truly REVITALIZE YOUR SMILE!
Dr. Justin Griffen DDS - Providing services in cosmetic dentistry to the area of Columbia, South Carolina (SC).
