Dental Veneers
Dr. Richard Hopgood is a Dentist practicing with Advanced Dental Concepts in Andover, MA. Dr. Richard D. Hopgood is a 1978 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, earning membership in Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the national dental honor fraternity, and was the recipient of the Pierre Fauchard... more
What makes a smile beautiful? That's a complex question, but some qualities of a lovely smile are immediately identifiable: Good tooth color, shape, and alignment are a few of the most important ones. If your teeth could use improvement in any of these categories, dental veneers could be just what you're looking for.
You may already know that a dental veneer is a thin covering over another surface. In dentistry, a veneer is a wafer-thin layer of super-strong porcelain that convincingly substitutes for natural tooth enamel. When bonded to your teeth, veneers can create a natural-looking, beautiful new surface. That's because dental porcelain, like natural tooth enamel, is translucent and tough. But it doesn't stain like tooth enamel does.
Recent years have brought remarkable advances in dental porcelain technology. These days, veneers can be made so thin that they can sometimes be bonded directly onto your existing tooth surface. In other cases, a very thin layer of tooth enamel — as thin as the veneer itself — needs to be removed to fit the new porcelain surface and make it look as lifelike as possible. Either way, the results are sure to make you smile.
Versatility of Porcelain Veneers
Dental veneers can be used to improve any of the following characteristics of your teeth:
- Color — Teeth can become stained by the foods and drinks we like, from smoking, and even normal aging. Veneers are available in numerous shades, from the most natural to the brightest Hollywood white.
- Size & Shape — Teeth can become worn down from grinding habits, or may not have the shape or size you want to begin with. For example, some people consider rounder teeth more feminine and squarer teeth more masculine. Veneers can be shaped and sized in whichever way is most flattering to your face.
- Alignment & Spacing — Veneers can be used to close small gaps between teeth or make slight corrections in alignment while improving tooth color and shape.
Richard D Hopgood, DMD, MAGD
Andover, MA Dentist
Advanced Dental Concepts
Dr. Richard D. Hopgood is a 1978 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, earning membership in Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the national dental honor fraternity, and was the recipient of the Pierre Fauchard Award for academic and clinical excellence. Following a one year general practice hospital residency at the Tufts New England Medical Center and a three year association with a general practice in Arlington, Dr.Hopgood established his current practice in Andover in 1982. Dr. Hopgood was appointed to the faculty of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 1980, overseeing a clinic in the Shattuck Hospital staffed by dental residents.
Dr. Hopgood is devoted to excellence in patient care through ongoing continuing education and mentoring from many of the masters of the dental arts. With the many great advancements in dental treatment available today, Dr. Hopgood seeks to bring state-of-the-art care to his patients. The most recent of these advancements is the Perio-Lase dental laser and associated periodontal treatment protocol, where Dr. Hopgood remains the only practitioner in Northern Massachusetts to offer these services.
