Cosmetic Dentistry is a form of professional oral care that focuses on enhancing the appearance of your mouth, teeth, and smile. There are various techniques and options for treatment on teeth that are discolored, chipped, misshapen or missing. They’d be able to reshape your teeth, close spaces, restore worn or short teeth or even alter the length of your teeth.
The most common procedures in cosmetic dentistry consist of bleaching, bonding, crowns, veneers, or reshaping and contouring.
Bonding
Bonding allows you the ability to fill in gaps or the color of your teeth with a material that is usually a different color (gold and silver). It used particularly for enhancing chipped teeth or close spaces between teeth.
Bonding makes your teeth vulnerable to staining or chipping, unlike other forms of restoration that are available. There is hardly any preparation needed for this procedure. Bonding allows you to fill a decayed tooth, typically without any anesthesia as well.
For this method, your dentist works on adequately corresponding the color of the tooth. You’ll need to schedule more visits, especially if you have several teeth that are affected. It is a simple procedure and can take only one appointment, which should last for countless years.
Crowns
A crown becomes necessary when a tooth is generally broken down, and fillings won’t solve the problem. It restores the tooth’s shape, strengthening, and appearance.
If a tooth is damaged or cracked, a crown enables the hold the tooth together by sealing the cracks preventing any further damage.
However, since it is an expensive procedure, they are used when alternative measures won’t be effective. Crowns have the longest life expectancy of all cosmetic restorations, and it’s just unfortunate that they are the most time-consuming as well.
You should use crowns when there is not enough of the tooth remaining to provide sufficient support for a large filling. Crowns work best when they help for attaching a bridge, protecting weak teeth from fracturing, restoring fractured teeth, or covering abnormally shaped or discolored teeth.
Every dentist’s prime purpose is to create a crown (also called an impression) that looks natural for you. Even if it’s an impression, it is imperative that the crown feels comfortable for you and does not impact your bite or shape of your surrounding teeth. The color and length of your teeth are also viable factors that your dentist compares to determine the appropriate crown for you. You should always discuss the particular cosmetic look you’d like with your dentist upon your initial visit. And once the procedure is complete, you will notice your teeth will be more attractive and stronger. Unknowingly your confidence in your smile will be on full display.
The great news about crowns is that they should last about five to eight years. If you exhibit good oral hygiene and under proper supervision, most impressions will last even longer. The main concerns that can affect the duration of the crown are chewing ice, or even fingernail biting may shorten the longevity as well.
Veneers
Veneers change the color and shape of your teeth by using small porcelain right over your incisors (front teeth). If your teeth are crooked, irregularly shaped, and unevenly spaced veneers would be certainly beneficial for you. Thankfully, anesthesia is limited, and now veneers go hand-in-hand treating similar issues just like bonding.
They are generated in a lab by dental technicians and to the patient’s teeth. Once bonded, it allows the tooth to be strengthened and stable. This treatment also usually takes one visit to complete so that you can rest seeking an enhanced smile.
Reshaping/Contouring
In this procedure, you can repair teeth that are too lengthy or misshapen. They use drills and lasers to remove your teeth’s enamel meticulously. It is far less painful than it sounds and it produces immediate results as well.
After your teeth are aligned, the enamel in your teeth does not develop any further, so you can cease worrying about going through the process again. Contouring only takes about an hour and generally helps those who enjoy their smile but have minor blemishes they want to improve. Each procedure respectively requires a thorough examination to ensure that contouring is best for you.
Bleaching
It is a chemical process most known for whitening teeth. If you are looking to have blemishes on your teeth removed or even a whiter shade, after an oral consultation we’d recommend bleaching for you.
Discoloration frequently occurs in the enamel due to several underlying factors such as age, hereditary traits, medication, coffee, tea, and smoking. You’d be surprised the various things that profoundly impact the color of our teeth.
Your dentist often does bleaching in the office, but it can also be completed at home under dental supervision. It is very common for patients to bleach their teeth at home plus it’s more convenient for them too. However, it is paramount to seek medical attention to ensure that bleaching is the best procedure for you.
Treatment generally starts with a custom mouthpiece made by your dentist to ensure they use the correct amount of whitening solution and that your teeth correspond with each other appropriately. Most importantly, if you are whitening at home it can allow up from two to four weeks to be complete, which varies on the shade you aim to fulfill. This standard procedure regularly lasts about an hour at the dentist. Be sure to schedule your appointment today.