Dr. West's Boulder Dental Blog

Perfect smiles created at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry often require crown lengthening.

Crown lengthening surgery is a safe and effective procedure that exposes more of the visible part of the tooth. Some clients undergo crown lengthening surgery at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry to alter their gummy smile.

A gummy smile refers to upper teeth that appear too short because excess bone and soft tissue covers part of the teeth. When a gummy smile is eliminated, our Lafayette and Boulder patients can’t believe how it changes their whole face. They love their new smile which reveals pleasing, symmetrical portions of their upper teeth.

Sometimes, a client needs crown lengthening because of tooth fracture. When a tooth breaks at the gum line or a crown is fractured, crown lengthening makes tooth structure accessible for the necessary restoration.

Digital imaging is one of the technological tools that helps Boulder advanced cosmetic dental professionals perform crown lengthening and other cosmetic dentistry procedures. When a Boulder cosmetic dentist has a highly-detailed, 3-D image of tooth and bone structure, he/she is able to achieve the precision necessary to design smiles to the patient’s exact specifications.

If you are seeking a dental smile makeover and live in the Boulder area, schedule a smile consultation by calling 720-862-3630. We are conveniently located at 1140 West S. Boulder Rd, Suite 201 in Lafayette. When you come in, we can show you photos of Colorado cosmetic dentistry clients who are enjoying their dazzling smile that was created by the skilled smile artists at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry.

Cosmetic dentistry has really taken off lately, and many of our Lafayette, Colorado dentistry customers are asking us how cosmetic dentistry might work for them. When you ask a dentist about cosmetic dentistry, you’ll get good advice because your Lafayette dentist is here to help, experienced, and familiar with the pros and cons of cosmetic dentistry.
If you live in the Lafayette area and have questions about cosmetic dentistry, please give me a call. My name is Dr. Gordon West, I am a Lafayette dentist providing dental services in the Lafayette area. I can help you with your cosmetic dentistry questions.
I will be happy to review your dental history, answer your questions about cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, and help you determine if cosmetic dentistry can provide the results you want.
Along with an understanding of cosmetic dentistry, Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry can help you with a host of Lafayette dental services related to cosmetic dentistry. We specialize in porcelain veneers, and perform dental implants, too. We can also help you with teeth whitening, prepless veneers, and dental crowns in addition to answering your questions about cosmetic dentistry.
I look forward to answering any questions you have about cosmetic dentistry. Our Lafayette office is located at 1140 West S. Boulder Rd, Suite 201 in Lafayette, Colorado. Give us a call or stop by and meet our state-of-the-art dental care in a comfortable environment staff.

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘I’d rather have a root canal’ to describe something painful or unpleasant? At Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry, we perform root canal (endodontic) therapy routinely for our Lafayette dentistry patients and many report minimal discomfort. Root canal procedures have advanced significantly in recent years. For many root canal patients, the procedure is no worse than getting a filling from your dental professional.

At Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry, our goal is to help our Longmont, Louisville, and Broomfield root canal patients avoid the necessity of  endodontic treatment by providing skilled dental care. However, if root canal therapy is necessary to preserve a tooth for one of our root canal patients, we provide the most advanced dental care.

How do you know if you need a root canal? See Dr. Gordon West immediately if you experience tenderness or pain, hot or cold sensitivity, tooth discoloration, tooth injury, gum swelling, gum pain, or lymph node tenderness or drainage. However, for some patients, there are no symptoms. That is why it is crucial to visit your local dentist regularly for a thorough dental examination.

Call Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry, at 720-862-3630 to schedule an appointment.

Center for Advanced Dental Care

If you live near Lafayette and experience severe anxiety when undergoing (or even thinking about!) dental treatment, oral sedation is for you.

Conscious sedation dentistry is available in Lafayette at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry. We have been providing sedation dentistry in Lafayette for several years with excellent outcomes. Whether it is called relaxation dentistry, oral conscious sedation or anxiety-free dentistry, it is completely safe and very popular for our nervous cosmetic and restorative dental clients in the Longmont area.

Though it may sound impossible, with oral conscious sedation, Boulder dentistry patients can actually relax during dental visits. In addition, healing times for oral surgery and extensive cosmetic dentistry procedures are often shorter if the patient is sedated during treatment.

Sedation dentistry is great for alleviating anxiety for our Lafayette patients, and oral conscious sedation can be effective for treating or working with the following:

• Teeth sensitivita;
• Fear of needles;
• A powerful gag reflex;
• Difficulty controlling body movement;
• Lengthy multi-procedure visits;
• Difficulty becoming numb with traditional injections.

If you need dental work more extensive than a filling; such as a root canal, tooth implant, crown replacement or wisdom tooth extraction; call Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry at 720-862-3630. When you come to our office at 1140 West S. Boulder Rd, Suite 201 in Lafayette, we can give you more information about sedation dentistry.

Sedation dentistry is only one of the services we offer at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry, where your smile is our top priority!

It doesn’t take a great deal of research to understand that bright and healthy smiles are more attractive. Everybody in Colorado likes to see a great smile, and having a great smile is not only healthy for your mouth, but healthy for your self esteem, too.

I’m Dr. Gordon West, DDS, and I am a dentist serving the Lafayette community with dental services including porcelain veneers. We call our practice ‘Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry’, and we are located in the Lafayette, Colorado. I provide dental services to the greater Boulder area from our dental office in Lafayette.

If you are looking for a dentist in the Lafayette area, including Longmont. Louisville, or Broomfield, please contact us. I am currently accepting new Colorado dental patients and would love to share with you some new and inexpensive ways to improve your bright and healthy smile.

I know the value of a bright and healthy smile, and can help you improve your smile with our Colorado dentistry services including porcelain veneers, dental implants, and prepless veneers; just three of the many dental services we provide at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry.

Give me a call today, I am looking forward to hearing from you.

If you are planning extensive cosmetic dental work, you may be wondering whether to do it all at once or one procedure at a time over an extended period. Here are some factors to consider:

Cost
In the long run, It is less expensive to do it all at once. At Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry in Lafayette, we are able to complete several procedures in one visit. We know that complete smile transformations are a significant investment for most Boulder residents. We would be happy to discuss affordable dentistry financing options. Call us at 720-862-3630 to schedule a no-pressure consultation.

Time
With the latest materials and cosmetic dental techniques, healing times are shorter than ever before. However, some procedures such as bone grafting, soft tissue grafting, root canals, and dental implants often require a short healing period.

It is easier physically and psychologically to have the fewest possible visits to your Lafayette dentist. You should also consider how your dental visits and necessary healing periods will impact your employment and family life. You will have less down time if you receive several procedures at once.

Aesthetic Results
While we routinely achieve great outcomes when doing a smile makeover in steps, porcelain restorations are best fabricated in the same “batch” for the most precise color matching.

Sedation Dentistry
When you come in for a smile analysis, we can discuss oral sedation dentistry. Many Longmont and Louisville cosmetic dental patients benefit from this safe and effective solution for pain and anxiety management. Conscious sedation is especially helpful for procedures such as multiple wisdom teeth extractions and dental implant placement.

Dr. Gordon West
Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry
1140 West S. Boulder Rd, Suite 201
Lafayette, Colorado
720-862-3630
http://www.BoulderCountySmiles.com

If you have money in your Lafayette flexible spending account you may want to schedule some cosmetic dentistry before the deadline. Remember, you lose any funds left over after the plan year ends. Why not improve your smile with tax-free dollars?

Even a small change can make a big difference in the appearance of your teeth. You might consider getting a veneer for a chipped tooth or replacing a broken crown. Maybe you want to straighten your teeth with braces or replace amalgam fillings with clear ones that blend with your natural teeth. Tooth whitening is quick and easy and benefits even the most attractive smiles.

Perhaps aesthetic dentistry is not your first priority. Maybe you have a more pressing dental need such as a cavity that is bothering you or swollen gums. Don’t let these problems get worse and possibly more expensive to treat.

Call 720-862-3630 to book a consultation at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry in Lafayette. We are located at 1140 W. South Boulder Rd, Suite 201.

Dr. Gordon West is one of the most sought-after Boulder dentists and stays at the forefront of cosmetic dentistry techniques and technology. A radiant smile is possible for anyone, regardless of issues such as tetracycline stains, periodontal disease, or missing teeth.

If you are planning to use flex account funds for Boulder dentistry, make sure you check your employer’s guidelines for eligible cosmetic or restorative dental procedures.

With a smile makeover at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry, what will your ‘after’ photo look like?

Each separate restorative and cosmetic dentistry procedure performed in Boulder can address a specific dental problem. For example, a porcelain veneer can perfect the surface of a tooth that is discolored or slightly misshapen. Dental bonding can fill a small chip in an otherwise healthy tooth.

Some Lafayette dental problems are more extensive and require a combination of procedures. Crown restoration combined with soft tissue grafts can restore a severely decayed tooth with the root exposed. A bone graft and dental implant can restore a missing tooth in an area where the jaw bone has receded. Orthodontia followed by tooth bleaching totally transforms a smile by straightening and whitening.

What is the difference between tooth bleaching and whitening? Whitening is the term for procedures which remove surface stains to restore the degree of natural lightness. Bleaching goes even further by lightening teeth beyond their natural shade. That’s right: you don’t have to resign yourself to yellow teeth even if they have been that way your whole life! The natural shade of your teeth, by the way, like your skin and hair color, is determined by genetics.

Some Lafayette smiles have been gleaming for years by regular whitening. You can maintain the whiteness of your teeth just as you maintain your fitness level. (Of course it is a lot easier to make a quick visit to your Lafayette dentist once a year for whitening touch-ups than sweating in a gym several times a week!)

We live in an age where severe dental problems can be permanently corrected. You don’t have to participate in a TV makeover show in Hollywood to access these premium cosmetic dental procedures. They are available right here in Lafayette, Longmont and Louisville. Dr. Gordon West has the same advanced training and extensive experience as the dentists who keep the smiles of famous actors and musicians camera-ready.

Schedule a consultation at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry to discover the perfect combination of procedures to achieve your ultimate smile. Our phone number is 720-862-3630.

When a tooth is threatened by severe decay, periodontal disease, or damage from an injury, a skilled Lafayette dentist or endodontist must make a judgment call concerning the course of treatment. If the pulp of the tooth is infected or inflamed, a root canal is often the only way to save the tooth.

Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry: 720-862-3630

During a root canal procedure (or endodontic treatment) the soft tissue in the root of the tooth is removed. This tissue contains veins, arteries and lymph vessels. Once the roots are cleaned out and widened, they are filled with a special rubber material. The root canal is only the first step in the complete tooth restoration. After the root canal, without a crown, the tooth will become dry and brittle. The final steps are the core build up and crown.

At Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry, we fabricate strong, natural-looking crowns that blend perfectly with the surrounding teeth. With proper oral hygiene and regular visits to a Boulder dentist, a tooth with a filled root can often function problem-free for the rest of a patient’s life.

I am dentist Dr. Gordon West. I have been practicing dentistry since 1998. During that time I have seen hundreds of teeth saved by this effective dental procedure. Root canal therapy at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry in Lafayette has a very high success rate.

Because teeth with infected pulp tissue often cause no symptoms, it is important to have regular dental examinations. I can determine which (if any) teeth have infected roots. If the infection in the soft pulp tissue is left untreated, it can progress to a point where the tooth cannot be saved. Is it time for a thorough dental exam? Call our office at 720-862-3630.

Call Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry immediately if one of your teeth is screaming for attention!

Many Lafayette professionals, students and retirees are enjoying the lasting benefits of aesthetic dentistry. A beautiful smile not only looks great, it makes you feel great! When you first look in the mirror in the morning while brushing those gleaming babies, you remember; oh yeah, I fixed my teeth and they look fantastic!

When you smile at old friends or make new ones, you are happy to show off your new movie-star grin. When you are in a professional setting speaking with colleagues or clients, you feel poised and super confident.

We have talked about different cosmetic and restorative dental procedures available in Boulder in previous blog articles, but let’s review the most common.

Veneers are glass-like, wafer-thin covers that adhere to teeth. Porcelain veneers are strong and have the translucency of natural teeth. They correct chips, stains and misaligned teeth that do not require orthodontia. There are several companies that fabricate veneers. One of the most well-known brand names is Lumineers.

Crowns correct more extensive tooth problems. They are used in a variety of situations such as the final restoration following a root canal or to restore teeth damaged by decay, injury or periodontal disease.

Dental implants are one of the best fixes for a missing tooth. They are becoming a popular and effective alternative to bridges and partial dentures in Lafayette and surrounding areas, especially among middle-aged professionals and people in the public eye.

Bridges are another strong, natural looking replacement for one or more missing teeth. They have been used with success for many years.

Professional tooth whitening in your dentist’s office is the least invasive and quickest way to brighten your smile several shades. One of the most popular systems is called Zoom!.

If you are interested in any of these safe and effective procedures, schedule a consultation at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry today. Even if you are still a bit hesitant, remember: discussing your options with a  cosmetic dentist does not require a commitment of any kind. It is merely a relaxed way to get the most reliable information.

We are waiting for your call. Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry can be reached at 720-862-3630.