Smiles matter, probably more than we realize. Volumes of research confirm the influential role of smiles in our relationships and our self-esteem. If you're confident, you smile more. If you smile more, you feel more confident. But what if you don't want to flash those pearly whites because you're embarrassed? The effects of a bad smile may ripple through your life. Fortunately, a growing range of options enables anyone to enjoy a stunning new smile. Dr. Elton and Dr. Clarke's passion for enhancing smiles brings you the best in modern dentistry.

Custom-crafted to each tooth, veneers provide an artist's touch to your smile. Regardless of your vision for your smile, chances are veneers offer an answer. When today's modern materials meet our passion for cosmetic excellence, you'll be amazed at what you see smiling back at you in the mirror.

Cavities, chips, and fractures can occur on any tooth surface throughout the mouth. The composite filling material is tooth-colored and provides a versatile solution to many common problems. Blended into a prepared area, the composite polishes to a smooth, undetectable finish.

Nothing boosts your confidence like a terrific smile. Over time, yellow stains can dull the color of your teeth. Professional whitening systems provide the ultimate in whitening results, quickly removing years of discoloration leaving gleaming results.

Damaged teeth might seem hopeless, but there's often a solid foundation underneath. A crown, or cap, can bring a compromised tooth back to full function. Utilizing modern porcelain materials, you'll have a difficult time trying to find where the crown ends and the tooth starts.

Teeth rarely fracture predictably. Sometimes a break is too big for a filling, but not big enough for a crown. Porcelain onlays provide an excellent solution for teeth that need extra reinforcement without being covered entirely. Bonded into place, they provide years of natural feel, function, and esthetics.

Opened in 1988, Cedarbrook Dental has been in the same location for 30 years.We are located in Harbor Park, near the Good To Go! offices, just west of WA16, off Olympic Drive.Our address is 5122 Olympic Drive Northwest, Suite B102 in Gig Harbor, WA.

Dr. Elton grew up traveling all over the world in a military family. He graduated from Rogers High School in Puyallup, WA in 1997 and received his Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from Brigham Young University, where he served as president of the BYU Pre-Dental club. Dr. Elton led a group of 120 volunteers on an international humanitarian project and organized two expeditions to the Galapagos Islands. He also worked as a research assistant for Clinical Research Associates, one of the worlds premier dental research facilities under the direction of Dr. Gordon Christensen. Dr. Elton graduated cum laude with his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree fromBoston Universitys Goldman School of Dental Medicine, where he was recognized by the faculty and awarded for his clinical abilities in prosthetic dentistry. After graduation, Dr. Elton was commissioned as a Captain in theUS Army Dental Corpsand served our country for four years at clinics in Germany and Washington. While in Germany, he provided treatment for soldiers who were evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan with medical and dental combat injuries.

Dr. Elton is a member of theAcademy of General Dentistry, theAmerican Dental Association, theWashington State Dental Association, thePierce County Dental Society, and is a Fellow in both theInternational Congress of Oral Implantologistsand the Academy of General Dentistry.

When he isnt caring for patients, Dr. Elton enjoys spending time with his wife, Brooke, and their three children. He also enjoys cycling, scuba diving, and playing the cello and guitar. He is Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and has enjoyed traveling to many Latin American countries.

Dr. Clarke received his bachelorsand masters degrees in zoology from Washington State University and his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from theUniversity of Washington School of Dentistry. In 2001, following a 20-plus year career with the United States Air Force, he retired with the rank of Colonel and joined what is now Cedarbrook Dental, working with Dr. James Hughes until Dr. Hughess retirement in 2013. Dr. Clarke now enjoys working as an associate with Dr. Peter Elton.

Dr. Clarke is a member of theAmerican Dental Association, theWashington State Dental Association, the Pierce County Dental Society, and was awarded Mastership in theAcademy of General Dentistryin 1998.

In addition to dentistry,Dr. Clarke enjoys skiing, mountain bike riding, kayaking, boating, and traveling. Dr. Clarke and his wife, Gay, have called Gig Harbor home for close to 20 years and have two grown children, Shannon and Kevin, and a lively Golden Retriever, Chase.

At Cedarbrook Dental, watching patients see their brilliant new smile for the first time highlights our days. Veneers can dramatically transform a smile, sometimes referred to as instant orthodontics. A set of veneers can correct chips, stains, and even deeply discolored teeth. But they can also alter the length and size of teeth or help give the appearance of a straight tooth where there is not. While it may sound dramatic, it isnt. Veneers provide a highly conservative approach to esthetic smile makeovers.

Veneers are one of dentistrys ultimate combination of dental art and science, handcrafted and customized to fit your smile. These paper-thin pieces of porcelain bond to the outside of your natural teeth. But just because theyre thin, don't be fooled. Veneers are highly versatile and can replicate all the complex nuances of a natural tooth.

Theres a lot of diagnostic work and careful planning that goes into a treatment plan that includes veneers. Models, photographs, and digital x-raysallow you and Dr. Raman to create a perfect blueprint to guide your treatment from start to finish. Like all successful projects, this planning can't be compromised. Dr. Elton and Dr. Clarke will consider your input and incorporate your desires into your veneer case, from color to shape and everything in between.

Dr. Elton and Dr. Clarke will create temporary acrylic restorations that mimic the veneers, which youll wear for up to three weeks. These temporaries provide a preview of the general appearance of your new smile and lets you see try it out to see if any further changes are needed.

Cavities and small fractures can cause much larger issues if left untreated. In the past, metal restorations called amalgam fillings (or silver fillings) served a need but left many teeth discolored and strained from the wedging effect of the metal. Today, tooth-colored composite resins blend into the tooth structure and are chemically bonded to the tooth providing a strong, permanent restoration.

Composites serve both functional and aesthetic roles, often at the same time. For example, a cavity invading the front of a tooth along the gum line may be visible in your smile line. By gently cleaning out the soft, discolored area and replacing it with a tooth-colored filling, the tooth is restored and looks better than ever.

Composites contain a mix of liquid resin embedded with finely ground glass particles. After being molded to the prepared tooth structure, a blue light applied directly to the composite hardens the filling material within seconds. Once its shaped and polished to a high shine, the restoration is complete.