A brilliant white smile full of perfectly aligned and proportioned teeth is not as difficult to acquire as in the past.
People wanting to improve the way their teeth look need only the simple but important regimen of regular cleaning and maintenance.When this fails, and patients wish to enhance or rejuvenate their smile they must seek out a cosmetic dentist or dental practice that provides these treatments and services.
A person wanting cosmetic dentistry services can choose from simple tooth whitening, fillings and crowns, inlays and onlays, dental veneers, composite bonding, to more comprehensive smile makeovers, and even full mouth reconstruction. Comprehensive cosmetic dental treatments like a smile makeover or a full mouth reconstruction may require the services of an orthodontist to straightening and aligning the teeth.
A cosmetic dentist often uses different material than a traditional dentist to beautify the teeth and mouth. But, cosmetic dentists will sometimes include standard filling placement in their available services.
Inlays and onlays, or “indirect” fillings, are not molded in-situ but prepared in a controlled environment and fitted on to the tooth in the dentist’s office. In cases where conventional fillings are not a viable restorative option, inlays and onlays are the next alternative. Their main role is to restore and strengthen teeth all ready weakened from previous dental work or decay. The difference between an inlay and onlay is the location and amount of tooth covered. While an inlay is affixed to the tooth’s centre, an onlay can help protect a tooth from more widespread damage and covers more than one area of the tooth.
Another common cosmetic procedure frequently employed for filling and repairing teeth is composite bonding.
Composite bonding, though, is not always the ideal treatment modality for restoring damaged teeth. Small defects like chipped or cracked teeth can be successfully repaired with composite bonding, but substantial damage will require more extensive treatment such as veneers and crowns.
Veneers are patient-specific and made from a tough ceramic substance to protect chipped, cracked and otherwise damaged teeth, and to remedy irregular alignment and big gaps between teeth. Veneers are, in effect, an all-purpose solution for most cosmetic dentistry issues.
Where veneers cannot be used, patients may choose to have crowns or “caps” placed.Heavily damaged teeth can be made functional again through the use of crowns or caps.
Crowns are usually made from three predominant materials: Porcelain fused to metal, porcelain and gold. The materials chosen for each application will vary according to the demand of the individual in question, aesthetic concerns and the amount of tooth or space available.
The metal-porcelain combination produces the strongest, most hard-wearing and most aesthetically pleasing crowns.
When little space is available and, because they are narrower than those crowns with a metal core, porcelain-only crowns are the best option.
Finally, gold crowns are usually selected for those with such habits as teeth grinding (bruxism) because gold is less abrasive to opposing surfaces, and it is usually applied to the larger teeth towards the back of the mouth.
Smile makeovers and full-mouth restorations are available treatment options for circumstances requiring the restoration of several cosmetically compromised teeth.
A full-mouth reconstruction is usually the most complete and expensive restorative option, and may be considered in conjunction with a smile makeover. This appraisal is based on assessed complications with the patient’s teeth, bone structure, bite pattern or facial muscles.
There are many cosmetic dentistry options available and patients should consult with their dentist about their own individual needs and wishes in order to decide on the best treatment plan to attain the best results possible.