As people become increasingly aware of the appearance of their teeth, and want to improve it, cosmetic dentistry has become very popular. I hope that Cosmetic Dentistry Advisor will be able to inform and advise people on what Cosmetic Dentistry entails and answer the most common questions about cosmetic dentistry.
What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic Dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of a person’s teeth and smile, often with desired (elective) treatments rather than necessary treatment. The dentist can whiten your teeth, reshape teeth, restore worn teeth, close spaces or alter the length of the teeth. In some cases cosmetic dentistry can also include necessary treatment and provide restorative benefits e.g. treating a decayed tooth with a cosmetic, natural looking tooth-colored restoration. In traditional dentistry the focus is more on preventing, diagnosing and treating of oral disease, although the trend is to do more aesthetic dentistry rather than placing amalgam fillings and metal crowns.
Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures
- Composite Bonding: With composite bonding, tooth-colored material is applied, sculpted into shape and hardened with a light. This only requires a single visit to your dentist and is generally not very costly. Composite bonding is great for treating decayed teeth and broken, chipped or discolored teeth. It can be used to close spaces between teeth and even to change the color and shape of a tooth by covering the entire surface of the tooth. A great benefit of this method is that it is a very conservative and the dentist doesn’t need to remove much tooth structure before using the composite material.
Composite Bonding
- Teeth Whitening: This is one of the most popular and conservative cosmetic dentistry procedures. The teeth can be whitened in-office or at home and greatly enhance the appearance of your teeth. I will certainly recommend teeth whitening for patients with dark or discolored teeth.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
- Reshaping and contouring: This procedure is great for patients with relatively normal healthy teeth, who want some subtle changes to their smile. Reshaping can be used to improve chipped, crooked, or irregularly shaped teeth. The length can be altered and overlapping of teeth can be improved. This often only requires a single visit to your dentist. Composite bonding will often be used in combination with tooth reshaping.
Reshaping Teeth
- Veneers: Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain or even composite material that are adhesively bonded to tooth surfaces. Veneers are used on teeth with chips, cracks, discoloration or that are crooked, unevenly spaced or need reshaping. This can be a less invasive and more affordable alternative to crowns, provided that the teeth are not too decayed or broken down.
Dental Veneer
- Crowns and bridges: Crowns are used to restore the normal shape and appearance of teeth that cannot be treated with a more conservative approach e.g. composite bonding. Crowns can be costly and time consuming but have the longest life expectancy of all cosmetic restorations. Bridges are suitable for patients who need missing teeth replaced and who are not suitable candidates for implants. The bridge needs to be attached to one or more natural teeth next to the space.
Dental Bridge
- Dental Implants: An implant is used to replace the root of a missing tooth and is fitted with a crown for a natural looking appearance. Implants can also retain bridges or dentures and is ideal for someone who struggles with loose fitting dentures. For more information, please read the article on dental implants.
- Cosmetic Gum Surgery: In some cases minor surgery to the gum tissue may be advisable in order to improve the appearance, especially for someone who has a very ‘gummy’ smile or where the gum level is not ideal around one or more teeth.
Cosmetic Gum Surgery
- Smile Makeover: If several procedures are required on the upper and lower teeth to achieve a beautiful look, a comprehensive treatment plan can be introduced where a combination of the procedures mentioned above can be implemented in order to give your smile a makeover.
Cosmetic Smile Makeover
Affordable Cosmetic Dentistry
Unfortunately the cost of cosmetic dentistry is often a problem as it can be quite expensive. As patients often think they will not be able to afford it, they may go through life with teeth that don’t look great. The truth is that tooth whitening, reshaping and contouring of teeth and composite bonding is not that expensive and can go a long way in improving your smile! Teeth Whitening can be done at home, and although it may take a bit longer than in-office treatment, the result can be just as good. You do not need to get all the aesthetic treatment done during the same appointment either, which will give you some time to save up for the next dental visit.
Cosmetic Dentist
It is very important to find a good dentist who has suitable training and experience in cosmetic dentistry. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry recommends the following: Before undergoing treatment, ask your dentist for proof of continuing education and make sure he/she is up-to-date with the latest techniques in cosmetic dentistry. It will be good to see ‘before and after photos’ of treatments performed by your dentist. Also ask for references.
Discuss your treatment in length with your dentist and make sure you fully understand what the treatment will involve, what it will cost and what the expected result will be. Do not hesitate to discuss any concerns with your dentist or decline treatment you do not want.
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