Cosmetic Dentistry Options

While cosmetic surgery may be thought of as just work related to your skin and bones, cosmetic dentistry is starting to catch on. Cosmetic dentistry is work done to your teeth and gums in order to improve appearance.

Now, when you talk to your dentist about cosmetic dentistry, he or she should be able to help you out by pointing you in the right direction as to what you’ll need done, but we think that it’s important to know about things before going into them, so we are here to explain to you what types of cosmetic dentistry there are out there.

When looking into cosmetic dentistry, there are many options, depending on what end result you’re looking for. Different dentists may recommend different procedures for the same problems, but it won’t vary by much: there isn’t a whole lot of wiggle room.

Let’s get a bit more into specific procedures now. Whiter teeth are probably one of the most desired traits that humans have. A white smile is very important and many people will judge you by it.

If your teeth have gotten a tinge of yellow over the years, you can get teeth whitening cosmetic dentistry to help you out. The great thing with teeth whitening is that it can be done either at a dentist’s office or at your own home, provided you have the right materials and recommended physician supervision.

One common misconception is that orthodontic treatment is just for kids. It’s a common misconception because that’s how it’s seen. How many adults do you see with braces? Really not too many, but that doesn’t eliminate it as an option. Orthodontic work can be useful to you no matter what your age is, but it is said to be more helpful at a younger age, before you’re fully grown.

Dental implants are a nice way to replace missing teeth. The great thing about implants is that they are permanent. You can get a dental implant when you’re 12 years old and still have it when you’re 86. Veneers are incredibly helpful in cosmetic dentistry. A veneer is a thin porcelain shell which fits right over the front of your tooth. Since it is custom-made for whatever tooth you need it on, it’ll fit right away, and it will be comfortable. A veneer is cemented to the front side of your tooth and can cover up spaces between your teeth, discoloration in your teeth or chipped teeth.

Getting cosmetic dental bonding is just getting resin to fill in cavities or other gaps in your teeth.

Sound familiar? Bonding is just a fancy word for fillings. Many people have gotten fillings: it’s a relatively simple and painless procedure which is recommended by most doctors for cavities. Sometimes fillings may poke your cheek or gums a bit. Your dentist will normally ask if this is the case after the procedure. A lot of times, you won’t notice it right after the procedure, but after a while, you’ll be hurting. We recommend asking your dentist if you can sit there for a few minutes and see if you feel any pain. Maybe bite up and down a few times, because if you don’t, you’ll wish you did.

Oftentimes, you’ll see someone with a gold or silver tooth. This actually isn’t their tooth, but a cap (or crown), which is just porcelain or acrylic with a metal shell which is fit to a tooth that has a bad cavity, has large fillings or is poorly shaped. It fits snug over your tooth so you can barely feel it, and most people can chew with a crowned tooth without problems.

Now, so far we’ve just covered teeth issues. Some people have problems with their gums as well, and there are also solutions for them. If you’ve got a “gummy smile”, it means that more gum shows than normal. There are various causes for this: either a short upper lip or excess gum. Both can be remedied, but for your sake, we hope that you’ve just got excess gum, as that’s normally a much cheaper procedure. As you can see, there are many choices out there: it’s just a matter of finding out which one is right for you.