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Grinning
for the Perfect Smile
Getting the smile you want is easier and more affordable now, thanks to new and better technologies that have helped the cosmetic industry to soar. "We've got so many more techniques, it's wonderful," says Dr. Carol Waldman who has practised cosmetic dentistry for more than 20 years. "Today we can hope for better results, for greater longevity and aesthetics." In a 2000 Member Poll, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) found that teeth whitening/bleaching has increased by 300 per cent in the last five years. Waldman says people today are taking better care of their teeth leaving more time to think not only about keeping your teeth healthy, but looking good too. "We have higher expectations," she says. "And more time to deal with other things." For patients between the ages of 20 and 50, the poll found the following to be the highest cosmetic procedures in demand: teeth whitening, veneers, and composites. For patients 50 and over the procedures highest in demand were: crowns and bridges, whitening, and veneers. 
There are a variety of methods to whiten teeth today. There are the whitening strips that are placed over the front teeth. Waldman says this method is not recommended for those with a wide smile. These strips can cost from $100 to $130. Then there is the home whitening kit that includes custom-made clear acrylic arch trays and a special whitening gel. Waldman says this technique is more successful than the laser whitening technique, in which a much stronger whitening agent is applied to the teeth by a dentist. While laser technique results are often seen within two hours, some patients have complained the results did not last very long or the whitening was not as significant. "[Laser whitening] is falling by the way side," says Waldman. "It's not as successful [as the home whitening kit] or as heavily done anymore."
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