All areas of dentistry are interested in helping your mouth be as healthy as possible. However, one specialty, in particular, focuses also on the beauty of your smile—cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry centers around making your grin perfect, and it can include everything from veneers to teeth whitening. What is cosmetic dentistry, who can benefit from it, and what types of services are offered?
What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the aesthetics of teeth instead of just their health. General dentists are interested in providing preventative services and treatments, like teeth cleaning and fillings. While many of the treatments that general dentists perform do help make teeth look more beautiful, that is not their primary purpose. In contrast, cosmetic dentistry does prioritize the looks of your teeth.
What Services Can a Cosmetic Dentist Perform?
The field of cosmetic dentistry is very broad, and it includes numerous services that can be adapted to your needs. Some of the most common services performed by cosmetic dentists include:
- Bridges: Bridges are an effective solution to missing teeth, and they can be used to replace a single tooth or multiple teeth that are missing. Because the process of creating a bridge involves forming artificial teeth that are customized to your mouth, working with a cosmetic dentist is a great idea. They will ensure that your bridge is attractive and comfortable to wear.
- Teeth Whitening: Many people have stained teeth from drinking coffee or smoking tobacco. Discoloration can also be the result of medical conditions. While you can use at-home teeth whitening solutions, they are simply not as effective as the treatments that you can get in an office. Professional tooth whitening is able to lift more stains in a single visit and under the supervision of a dentist, which lowers the risk of damage happening to your enamel with over-the-counter treatments.
- Crowns: Crowns are a great way to cover up and protect teeth that have been damaged and guard them against additional decay. Crowns are designed to perfectly match the surrounding teeth and provide you with a lifelike replacement for your tooth. They can be used as part of the dental implant process or in conjunction with a root canal to make your mouth as healthy as possible.
- Veneers: Sometimes, your teeth are stained, cracked, discolored, gapped, or poorly aligned and there is no easy solution to fix them without pulling them. Veneers are one such solution. Veneers do not require teeth to be missing. Instead, a thin layer of porcelain will be bonded to the surface of the tooth. This surface will be customized to look as realistic as possible and coordinate with the rest of your teeth. You can use veneers on all of your teeth or on one tooth.
- Bonding: Dental bonding is another technique that can be used to reverse discoloration on teeth, fill in gaps between teeth, or replace a missing part of a chipped tooth. Your cosmetic dentist will use a unique material that replaces the missing material and leaves you with a flawless smile again.
Why Could You Benefit from Visiting a Cosmetic Dentist?
There are countless patients who are able to benefit from visiting a cosmetic dentist, and it might surprise you to learn how versatile their services are. Some of the patients who are a great fit for cosmetic dentistry include:
- Those with teeth discoloration or stains
- Those with misshapen or uneven teeth
- Patients who have cracked or chipped teeth
- Those with gapping
- Patients who have poorly aligned teeth
- Those who are self-conscious about the appearance of their smiles
Is There an Overlap Between Cosmetic Dentistry and Restorative Dentistry?
Absolutely! While the procedures discussed above are often wanted to make the smile more attractive, they can also be used to help the smile be even healthier. For example, crowns are not just a way to cover up unsightly stains or tooth decay. When used in combination with a root canal, a crown can protect the remaining tooth structure and ensure that no further decay happens.
What Are the Advantages of Working with a Cosmetic Dentist to Improve Your Smile?
Cosmetic dentistry is the best way to turn your dream smile into your current smile. Some of the many benefits of cosmetic dentistry include:
- A more beautiful smile
- Reverse stains and discoloration on your teeth, even if they have been present for years
- Improve the appearance and shape of the teeth
- Remove the signs of cracks, gaps, and chips in your teeth
- Increase your confidence
- Improve your dental health
If you are not sure if cosmetic dentistry can help with your needs, schedule your appointment today to learn more.
