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Dental Services
Dr. Lipetsker offers a wide range of dental services, called Cosmetic and Neuromuscular Dentistry. The goal of cosmetic dentistry is to transform an average smile into a terrific smile! To accomplish this goal, she will analyze every aspect of a smile and then correct the problem. A terrific smile has straight teeth which are evenly spaced with no gaps. The teeth are white and the top teeth show when you smile, but not the gums and the edges of the teeth smoothly follow the curve of your lower lip. Even if you weren't born with a beautiful smile, you can still have one!
Crooked Teeth • Veneers • Bonding • Crowns • White Fillings • Bridges • Teeth Whitening • Occlusion • Neuromuscular Dentistry
You have several treatment choices if you'd like to correct crowded or misaligned teeth. These choices include:
Recontouring is used in cases of mildly crooked teeth and involves reshaping and contouring your teeth with the dental handpiece.
A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that is bonded to a tooth to improve its color and shape. A veneer generally covers only the front and top of a tooth. Veneers can be used to close spaces between teeth, lengthen small or misshapen teeth, or whiten stained or dark teeth. When teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, veneers can protect them from damage and restore their appearance.
Ann is a 40 year old Program Manager who was self-conscious about her smile. She came into the office after several coworkers remarked on her "stern" demeanor despite her warm personality. Ann was not sure what she needed done, she just wanted to smile with confidence. Click here to read Ann's story.
With bonding, the doctor can close spaces between teeth, lengthen small or misshapen teeth, or whiten stained or dark teeth. She can shape and color a single tooth, or improve your entire smile. When teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, bonding can protect them from damage and restore their original looks.
Richard is a 45 year old computer engineer. The last few years Richard noticed that his teeth started to crumble at the tops and would occasionally chip. The problem was getting worse and, worried that there might be a more serious underlying issue, Richard came in to the office. Click here for Richard's story.
A crown is a cap that covers the tooth to protect or restore it. Recent breakthroughs in adhesives, combined with the development of stronger porcelain materials, allow the doctor to make crowns entirely of porcelain. All-porcelain crowns maintain a translucency that makes them hard to tell from natural teeth. Without metal, the problem of a dark line at the edge of the gumline is eliminated. This allows the doctor to place the edge of the crown above the gumline, and that's healthier for your tooth and gums. When you want to improve your smile, all-porcelain crowns are a beautiful and natural looking choice.
Jennifer is a 35 year old graphic designer who was in the process of looking for a new job and possibly moving. She did not like the look of her teeth and came to Dr. Lipetsker looking for speedy procedures that might improve the appearance of her smile. She realized that she had orthodontic problems but, because of both esthetic and time concerns, she did not want to wear braces. Click here to read Jennifer's story.
Until recently, silver amalgam was the material most often used to restore decayed portions of your teeth, especially back teeth. Unfortunately, silver fillings can really darken a smile. Dental research has resulted in the development of a new tooth-colored materials that are not only durable and long lasting, but attractive as well. These materials, porcelain and composite resin, provide an attractive, natural look while at the same time restoring strength and durability to your tooth. Both porcelain and composite resin are bonded directly to the tooth, restoring it to near its original strength and function. Both can be custom-colored to precisely match your teeth, so when porcelain or resin fillings are placed, they're extremely natural looking. This can really make a difference in your appearance, especially if the restoration is visible when you smile.
Patient Profile:
Helen came for a regular check-up appointment and said that she had a slight sensitivity in the lower right area of her mouth. The dental exam showed two old metal fillings on her teeth. Click here to read Helen's story.
A bridge is made to close the gap where a tooth is missing between other teeth. A tooth-colored bridge may be made, thanks to new technology, entirely of porcelain. Recent breakthroughs in adhesives, combined with the development of stronger porcelain materials, allow the doctor to make bridges entirely of porcelain. All-porcelain bridges maintain a translucency that makes them hard to tell from natural teeth. Without metal, the problem of a dark line at the edge of the gumline is eliminated. This allows the doctor to place the edge of the bridge above the gumline, and that's healthier for your tooth and gums. When you want to improve your smile, all-porcelain bridges are a beautiful and natural looking choice.
Christine is a 40 year old elementary school teacher with multiple dental problems. For years she returned to the dentist every few months to repair and re-repair old fillings and chipped teeth. She came to Dr. Lipetsker looking for a definitive resolution of her dental condition. Click here to read Christine's story.
Often the difference between a good smile and a great smile is the whiteness of the teeth. Over time most teeth lose their luster and brightness because they accumulate stains made by foods and beverages. New whitening agents can remove these stains without harming your teeth. By far the best and fastest whitening solutions are offered by your dentist. So far, we have the best results with deep bleaching techniques which is a combination of office and home teeth whitening.
Braces are often the ideal way to straighten teeth, especially in severe crowding cases. However, you must be willing to wear braces for about two to three years. Orthodontia (braces) is now a very common procedure for adults; in fact, 40 percent of orthodontic treatments are for adults. And braces are now available with small, clear brackets that are bonded directly to the front of the teeth. These eliminate that "metal mouth" look commonly associated with having braces.
Braces used to be the only way to straighten teeth affects by malocclusion (a bad bite). But now, we have a system called Invisalign that allows us to straighten your teeth without using the brackets and wires of traditional braces.
The patented Invisalign system uses a series of clear, removable aligners to gradually reposition teeth. We've chosen to offer the Invisalign system because the aligners are more visually appealing than braces. They're also removable, which makes it easier to clean your teeth after eating. The aligners are smooth and comfortable, and they don't irritate your gums, cheek, or tongue. The Invisalign system also eliminates and allergic reactions that you may experience with metal.
Mother nature didn't provide all of us with a stable, health bite. Some people have bites that have been affected by wear, changed by dental restorations, or that have shifted with time.
A healthy bite allows all of your teeth to hit simultaneously and evenly when your jaw joint is seated into its proper position at the base of your skull.
When you have a bad bite, also called malocclusion, your teeth do not align properly. This can cause damage to your teeth and restorations, and can also set of a cycle of muscular spasms, pain and soreness commonly referred to as TMD, to temporonandibular disorder.
When the balance of the bones, cartilage, and muscles that make up the temporonandibular joint is lost it can lead to:
- headaches
- earaches
- difficulty in opening and closing
- clicking or popping in the joint
- a dull aching pain around the ear that spreads into the face
- sore or painful jaw muscles.
Simply put, neuromuscular dentistry is the science of placing the jaw into its most comfortable position, thus releasing pressure from the jaw joint (TMJ).
When the jaw is misalign, the TMJ is under pressure. This causes many physiological problems, such as headaches, jaw pain, neck and shoulder pain, ringing in the ears, and clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint.
Neuromuscular Dentistry corrects the bite and realigns the jaw. First the dentist determines the optimal position of the jaw by measuring the position of the head and neck when the muscles are relaxed. Then, she repositions the jaw to achieve those exact measurements. Several milliliters make a big difference. Malocclusion (poor jaw alignment) is relatively easy to correct. Treatment options include adjusting the bite, orthotics, orthodontics, and restoring the teeth to their correct positions.
The benefits of neuromuscular dental treatment range from local (decreased or eliminated pain and discomfort) to holistic (better overall health) to practical (longer-lasting dental restorations) to cosmetic. Often, even early in the treatment, patients start looking younger and have fewer wrinkles on their face and neck. Read Press Release!
copyright © Irene Lipetsker 2004
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Dr. Irene Lipetsker is a cosmetic dentist with her studio, Brookline Dental Studio, located in Brookline, MA which is near Boston, MA. She practices a number of fields of dentistry to correct patients' smile and teeth problems. She specializes in: teeth whitening, laser corrections, invisalign, cosmetic dentistry, braces, crowns, bridges, periodontal corrections, porcelain, tooth restoration, teeth veneers, endodontics, and implantology.