I get asked that question all the time. Let's go through the options. Let's say your teeth are in good shape. No big fillings, no existing caps or crowns. But they are crooked, or you have spaces between your front teeth. You can usually do one of these four options:

Invisalign- This is a state of the art process that uses clear aligners to move the teeth. It's basically clear braces. You wear the aligners 24 hours per day, and only remove them to eat or drink. They are indeed invisible, and no one will know you have them on. Depending on how much movement your teeth will need, the range of time needed to wear the invisalign aligners varies from 3 months to 2 years.

Advantages: easy to wear, no drilling of your teeth and there is better occlusion (the way the teeth meet when your jaw is closed).

Disadvantages: inconvenient when dining out & retainers have to be worn after finishing treatment.

All in all, invisalign is a great way to move your own teeth into optimal position.

Cost ranges from $2000-$5500 for simple cases.

Porcelain veneers- Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that are fitted over the front of the teeth and chemically attached, or bonded to the teeth. Think of a fake fingernail, same idea. Veneers can be made to close spaces, or straighten crowded teeth. Also, the color of your teeth can be lightened as white as you would like. The dentist will need to prepare the teeth, which means some drilling. Then the dentist takes an impression so a lab can construct the veneers. It usually takes 1-2 weeks for the veneers to be constructed. In the meantime, your dentist will make you temporary veneers to wear so your smile looks attractive and you can eat and chew. At your second appointment, the dentist removes the temporary veneers and permanently places the lab constructed veneers.

Advantages: usually only 2 visits, beautiful results that look natural, permanency.

Disadvantages: some drilling of the teeth is necessary.

Cost ranges from $1000-$3000 per tooth.

Lumineers- Lumineers are basically very thin porcelain veneers. Because lumineers are so thin, minimal drilling of the teeth is necessary. This option is great for recessed teeth, or for someone who wants to close spaces or whiten their teeth. Because lumineers do add some bulk to the front of your teeth, you'll probably need to treat at least 6 or 8 teeth per arch.

Advantages: same as veneers without the drilling.

Disadvantages: the need to treat multiple teeth.

Cost ranges from $1000-$3000 per tooth.

Bonding- Bonding is the process of using composite material (a putty-like substance) to chemically attach to the teeth to close spaces, fix cracked or chipped teeth, or straighten teeth. The dentist applies the composite directly to the front of the teeth. Bonding can be done to match any tooth shade, or even whiten the teeth. It is usually done in one single visit, and does not require a lot of drilling of the teeth. Your dentist needs to have a "good artistic eye" to make the bonding look and feel natural. Unfortunately, bonding is not as permanent as veneers. The composite material can chip and stain. But, done right, your teeth can look great in one visit.

Advantages: done in a single visit, beautiful results that look natural, reversible in many cases.

Disadvantages: lack of permanency, can stain and chip.

Cost ranges from $200-$600 per tooth.

So, now that you know the options, you can decide which one is best for you. Or at least ask your dentist about these treatments. Your dentist needs to be certified to treat you using Invisalign, or placing Lumineers.

Teeth whitening or dental bleaching is a way for you to make your teeth whiter by chemically changing the color of your teeth. You are a candidate for this procedure if you have healthy teeth with few fillings and healthy gums. If you have existing crowns, caps or veneers on your teeth, these teeth will not respond to bleaching.

Teeth with more yellowish tones respond better to bleaching. Teeth that are gray or are very dark do not respond as well. If you have tobacco, coffee or red wine staining on your teeth, it's best to have your teeth cleaned professionally before bleaching.
Bleaching, if done correctly, can whiten your teeth between 4 and 9 shades. It can produce a very positive result in your smile.

There are basically two methods to whiten teeth: bleaching gel and laser, or light activated bleaching. Both methods use oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to lighten the shade of the teeth. The amount of whitening achieved is dependent on the strength of the bleaching agent in the gel.

If you use the bleaching gel option, you will need a tray that fits snugly around your teeth. You then put the gel in the tray, and wear the tray once a day for 15-20 minutes. You repeat this process as often as you would like to acquire a shade that works for you. However, beware of teeth sensitivity, which is sometimes a by product of bleaching gels. If your teeth do indeed become sensitive, you would discontinue the use of the trays until the sensitivity diminishes.

Over the counter bleaching gels are usually weaker in strength than gels dentists are licensed to distribute. Also, the "one size fits all" trays that you get in over the counter products can be ill-fitting, causing the gel to irritate the gums and soft tissues in your mouth. The gel will work better if you get a custom tray made for you from a dentist.
The gel will stay on your teeth longer, and you probably will not get gum irritation.

Laser, or light activated bleaching utilizes light energy to accelerate the process of bleaching in the dental office. The dentist or his staff will cover your gums with a protective coating, and then apply the bleaching material to the teeth and use a light or laser to activate the bleaching material. In office bleaching usually takes about 1 hour.
You will see the results immediately after this procedure. Your teeth can be sensitive after this procedure, but the sensitivity usually lasts less than 24 hours.

In our office, we use the Zoom II system, and we find it works great. But there are other systems out there like BriteSmile that also work well.

Whitening is not permanent. People who expose their teeth to foods and beverages that cause staining (i.e. red wine, coffee) will see the whiteness fade in as little as 1 month.
If this happens, you can re-bleach the teeth to regain the whiter color. In our office, we give all our patients custom take home trays to use with a gel after getting the light activated bleaching (Zoom II). This way, if the whitening fades over time, they can recharge their smile by re-bleaching with the gel at home.