Cosmetic dentistry

What is cosmetic dentistry?

Cosmetic Dentistry is the art and science of creating a beautiful smile. While traditional dentistry focuses on oral hygiene and preventing, diagnosing, and treating oral disease, cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of a person's teeth, mouth, and smile.

With new advances in teeth whitening, bonding, and porcelain technology, an ordinary or unpleasant smile can be changed into a smile that turns heads in as little as two visits to your cosmetic dentist’s office.

Cosmetic dentistry can be as subtle or as dramatic as you like. In fact, some procedures that dentists have been performing for many years now have a cosmetic twist to them. Take for example the process of filling a cavity. In years previous, dental fillings were composed primarily of gold, amalgam, and other materials that left visible dark spots on the teeth. Today, dental fillings may fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry, because you can select fillings made of porcelain or composite materials that more closely match the color of your teeth. More and more traditional dentists no longer offer fillings made of the older materials because the demand for a more cosmetically appealing alternative is so high. Many people are even having their older fillings replaced with newer, tooth-colored fillings.

Cosmetic dentistry has definitely become a rising trend especially with the publicity that these dentists and procedures performed receive have received in recent years through reality television shows such as “Extreme Makeover.”

With dentistry's many advances, you no longer have to settle for stained, chipped, or misshapen teeth. You now have choices in all types of price ranges. Talk with your cosmetic dentist to see what options are available for you to be able to smile with a little more confidence.

Cosmetic dentistry procedures

Cosmetic dentistry procedures currently in use include dental fillings, bonding, teeth whitening, veneers, dental implants, enamel shaping and orthodontics/braces. You may find some slight variations in how these procedures are performed such as what materials are used and how custom pieces are made, but in general these procedures cover jut about everything cosmetic that a trained cosmetic dentist can do to make your smile brighter, straighter and in some cases stronger.

• Dental fillings

This fairly traditional procedure can also be included in the category of cosmetic dentistry when porcelain and composite resin materials are used to provide a tooth-like appearance. In the past the materials used to fill cavities were anything but cosmetic. Silver, gold and other metals were used leaving the mouth multicolored and even the tooth discolored after many years of having these fillings. Having fillings re-filled with materials that more closely resemble the color of the tooth has become very popular.

• Bonding

Bonding is defined as the repair of chipped or broken teeth. A dental composite material with the look of enamel is applied to the surface of a tooth, where it is then sculpted into shape, contoured, and polished, making the crack or chip invisible. In a way it is like applying sculpting clay to the tooth to re-shape it. Bonding can even be used as a fix for severely stained teeth when a light coat of the bonding agent is in essence used a s a paint over the entire tooth.

• Teeth whitening

Teeth whitening is perhaps the most popular and commonly recommended cosmetic dentistry procedure. There are all kinds of ways that teeth can become stained. Teeth are often stained from smoking, food, drink (coffee, tea, or red wine), or poor oral hygiene. Simply bleaching the teeth can enhance the appearance of your smile. Bleaching may be done completely in the dental office or the dentist may dispense a system for you to use at home. Even those with crooked or otherwise imperfect teeth find that simply whitening and brightening their smile makes a huge difference.

• Veneers

Dental veneers are plastic or porcelain laminates bonded to the surface of a tooth to replace chips and cracks. Veneers are designed to improve a worn appearance or severe tooth discoloration. Veneers are also a helpful fix for those who have gaps in their teeth or have not achieved the results that they would like with traditional teeth whitening methods. Veneers are thin custom-made shells designed to cover the front side of teeth. Veneers are made of tooth-colored materials (the most popular and expensive of which is porcelain). Nothing exceeds porcelain for life-like beauty, as it imitates natural teeth in color, translucency, and surface texture. In addition, its very high resistance to wear makes it very long-lasting. In some cases a porcelain veneer can last as long as 25 years although it is recommended for about 15 years. Veneers are responsible for some of the most beautiful smile restorations made in cosmetic dentistry today.

• Dental implants

Dental implants are artificial tooth root replacements that are used as a part of prosthetic (artificial replacement) dentistry in order to compensate for tooth loss. Many people think of a dental implant as a permanent set of dentures. Dental implants are especially popular with young people who have suffered from the loss of a tooth due to accident or some other catastrophic event and do not wish to go the rest of their lives without the functionality and appearance of a mouth full of teeth. Missing teeth can actually cause the face to collapse, making you look older. Although dental implants can easily become the most expensive of all the cosmetic dentistry procedures, it can also restore the greatest amount of quality of life, self confidence and convenience.

• Enamel shaping

Enamel shaping involves modifying teeth to improve their appearance by removing or contouring enamel. Naturally enamel shaping does not take as much time nor does it cost as much money as other cosmetic dentistry procedures. Enamel shaping is often combined with bonding and can be done rather quickly in your cosmetic dentist’s office.

• Orthodontics/Braces

Although there are more instant alternatives to wearing braces (such as having all of your problem teeth re-sculpted with veneers), orthodontia is still a very common form of cosmetic dentistry. Braces are not just for kids either. More and more adults are turning to orthodontia as a practical solution to their cooked, crowded or misaligned smiles. Straight teeth can dramatically change your appearance and make you look more youthful. Innovations in the world of orthodontia have long since done away with the need to wear embarrassing head gear or unsightly rubber bands. In fact, clear aligning trays are now commonly available, allowing you to get the full advantage of wearing braces without the appearance of wearing braces.

What you should keep in mind…

Everyone would love to have a perfect smile, but unfortunately for some people cosmetic dentistry has its limits. In the last two decades, improvements in dental materials and restorative techniques have made it possible for most of us to have close to model-perfect teeth that resist color changes and are almost as strong as the originals. But the patient must remember that synthetic materials cannot exactly match the strength and longevity of a well maintained mouth full of teeth. Technology has its limits and its price. Before you get too excited about the procedures that you could have done on your smile consider the following:

What you should keep in mind…

Everyone would love to have a perfect smile, but unfortunately for some people cosmetic dentistry has its limits. In the last two decades, improvements in dental materials and restorative techniques have made it possible for most of us to have close to model-perfect teeth that resist color changes and are almost as strong as the originals. But the patient must remember that synthetic materials cannot exactly match the strength and longevity of a well maintained mouth full of teeth. Technology has its limits and its price. Before you get too excited about the procedures that you could have done on your smile consider the following:

• Cosmetic dentistry can quickly become very expensive. The application of just one porcelain tooth veneer can cost as much as $2,500 per tooth.
• Most insurance companies do not cover the costs associated with cosmetic dentistry, so you end up paying for everything out of your own pocket.
• Cosmetic dentistry materials will eventually need replacing as they do not last forever. These materials may crack, chip or weaken over time. Procedures may have to be repeated in 10 to 15 years time.
• Cosmetic dentist can only work with what you have. They cannot is change the shape of your mouth, the color of your skin or your overall appearance. In order for tooth restorations to truly look natural, they have to work for you. Cosmetic dentistry is designed to improve your appearance not completely transform it. Therefore, you must make sure that your expectations are realistic.

Imaging

One of the unique benefits that the patient has to aid in their decision making process regarding what cosmetic dental procedures they have performed is that the results of cosmetic dentistry are easy to predict. Thanks to advances in computer technology, it's now possible to view before-and-after images of your teeth before the work even begins. The technique is called computer imaging. Computer imaging allows your dentist to give you an idea of what your teeth will look like after the procedure you are contemplating. This technology is valuable to the patient because it gives him or her, the opportunity to see the results of a more complex procedure and determine whether or not the results will be worth the cost and inconvenience. Computer imaging is not commonly used for minor procedures such as bonding and not all cosmetic dentists will have computer imaging in their practices.