Maybe you are ready to get rid of your old silver fillings. Maybe you don't like your discolored teeth. Or your smile needs adjusting.

This new dentistry goes beyond just fixing teeth. It's about helping people gain more self confidence by having a wonderful smile. Your image matters and tells your customers and friends that you value your image and expect the best in return. There are several different forms of cosmetic dentistry to give you that "winning smile". Crowns, veneers, bonding and bleaching are all effective methods to varying degrees and price.

Cosmetic crowns can cover old, leaking silver fillings. They can also cover fractured and broken teeth. If you have visible fillings when you smile, porcelain crowns can eliminate that metallic look. Crowns are tooth colored to match your existing teeth. They are carefully tinted to match existing teeth. Cost can range from $550 to $800 per tooth.

Veneers are around $750 to $2,000 per tooth. But it will reshape your teeth. The dentist usually grinds down your teeth and adds a custom porcelain shell. Most people get the six to ten teeth in their "smile zone" fixed. Then you can have the others bleached. But the bad news – they usually have to be replaced about every 10 years.

Bonding is similar, but uses a plastic resin instead of the porcelain. Dentists have used these to replace chipped teeth. Bonding is done by hand by the dentist and is much cheaper at $300 to $700 per tooth. It can't reshape your teeth like veneers, but it can whiten your teeth similar to bleaching.

Bleaching is good choice if you don't need your teeth straightened or reshaped. Peroxide bubbles out some of the stains in the tooth enamel. Your dentist will make a tooth tray for about $200-$500 that allows you to wear and let the peroxide do its trick. Usually you can get your teeth 5 shades whiter.

You may have heard of Zoom! or BriteSmile. These are dentist performed bleaching using special gels that are light activated. This can get your teeth up to 10 shades whiter! But this process can run from $400 to $1200. But it's fast and you're done.

Before you go to any extremes, it may be beneficial to try the Crest Whitestrips Premium. This may give you an idea of how much change you want before spending the big bucks at the dentist for a professional service.

Long ago, they used chlorine as a paste on people's teeth. Looked great, but it ate off all the enamel and subsequent tooth decay set in causing unbearable pain. Thank goodness we have better options. There are several methods to whiten your teeth. These are some ideas on how to get your teeth not only whiter, but also give you that winning smile you deserve.