Cosmetic Dentist. How do they improve your smile?

How Can a Cosmetic Dentist Help?

Traditional dentistry focuses on oral health by managing oral diseases.  Traditional dentistry does this through the use of diagnosing and treating oral issues.

Cosmetic dentistry instead focuses on enhancing the appearance of your teeth, gums, mouth and smile. General dentistry provides necessary and urgent treatment. Cosmetic dentistry usually provides dentistry based on a patient’s wish for improved aesthetics.

This does not mean that cosmetic dentistry exists only to help in terms of appearance.  In some cases, the use of cosmetic dentistry, can improve your smile and restore or improve functions such as chewing or talking.

• Inlays/Onlays: These are fillings that are made of porcelain or composite resin materials.  They offer a cosmetic way of providing a dental filling to decayed or damaged teeth. Traditional dental fillings are molded within the mouth but inlays and onlays are made in dental laboratory.  Once made, your dentist will fit and bond them into place to your tooth.

• Bonding: When you have a broken, chipped, decayed or discolored tooth, dental bonding may be used to improve appearance and fix the issue. Usually a composite resin material that resembles enamel will be used. A cosmetic dentist will ensure that the restoration color blends in with the nearby teeth for a great smile.

• Teeth Whitening: Whitening is a very common cosmetic dentistry procedure. Teeth may be stained from ongoing smoking, drinks such as coffee, tea, wine, poor oral hygiene and certain foods.  Teeth whitening can help to improve the color of these teeth.

• Dental Veneers: These are thin shells that are made to look like the front of natural teeth.  A cosmetic dentist will remove some existing tooth enamel and bond the thin veneers to your existing teeth.  Veneers can help improve the look of your smile by closing gaps or spaces between teeth and may provide a whiter look.

• Dental Implants: These are the best tooth replacement option for most people.  With proper care, they can last a life time.  They can replace a missing tooth while having a natural look that matches your nearby teeth.  They also help to preserve your jaw bone, which helps to maintain your smile by avoiding bone loss.

• Makeover: A smile makeover requires multiple cosmetic dentistry treatments in order to achieve the desired look.  It also requires an in depth assessment of your entire mouth. An experienced cosmetic dentist can provide amazing results with these types of smile makeovers.

• Complete mouth reconstruction: Sometimes the treatment that a cosmetic dentist provides, may not be enough to achieve a desired look or function.  There may be a need to correct function issues related to your bite, muscles and jaw bone.
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Remember that you do not have to be born with a beautiful smile to have one!