Cosmetic Dentistry-Smile Dentistry

What is cosmetic dentistry? It is dentistry that enhances, improves or changes the appearance of your teeth. Your appearance is very important. People place judgments on you based on the way you look. What you look like is not only how you dress, but also what your teeth look like when you smile. When you talk to someone, that person will focus on your face - eyes and teeth. They will form opinions about you based on what they see. If you have a natural looking mouth, teeth and smile people will notice that fact. If you have visible cavities, unsightly defective fillings, gum disease, crooked or misshapen teeth, people will notice that too. And their impression of you will be affected. The judgment based on your appearance may be superficial and not who you really are. But it will affect how people think of you.

The term cosmetic dentistry is a little misleading because some procedures that fall under this term are not strictly performed for cosmetic purposes. A fixed bridge, for example, may be used to correct a bite problem rather than repair stained or chipped teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can have beneficial health as well as psychological benefits. After all, when you look good, you feel good. Your smile is an important part of your being.

Here is a partial list of dental procedures that you can have that can improve the way your teeth look when you talk or smile:

replace discolored fillings in front teeth

whiten teeth to a lighter/whiter color

straighten crooked teeth with orthodontic treatment

recontouring of your teeth

closing up spaces between teeth

porcelain or resin veneers to change the shape and alignment of teeth ("bonding")

placing tooth colored fillings in back teeth instead of silver fillings

porcelain or resin inlays and onlays for back teeth

cosmetic periodontal surgery to even out gum tissue that is crooked

restoration of worn and short teeth to their proper shape

filling in tooth brush abrasion notches

replacing missing teeth with bridges or implants

replacing defective and unsightly old crowns (caps)

cover stained dentin

remove stained fracture lines from enamel

restore chipped teeth (bonding)

make teeth longer

make teeth shorter

There are different types of cosmetic dentistry, which can transform disfigured or stained teeth into a brand new smile. If a tooth has unsightly stains it can be whitened. This procedure may take several visits to the dentist, but the results are remarkable for certain types of stains and will not undermine healthy tooth structure. Bonding is also a rather conservative form of restoration, and can allow your dentist to correct a wide range of problems from shape to color simply and effectively. Bonding is a one step process, which can last several years. Bonding however is more susceptible to staining or chipping than other forms of restoration may be.

Porcelain veneers or facings are a bit more involved and require more than one visit because they are fabricated in a laboratory. A laminate, just like a cap is not reversible because a little bit of the enamel is removed during the bonding procedure, which adheres the facing or veneer to the tooth. Veneers have a much longer life expectancy and color stability than bonding.

Caps or crowns are used in cases where none of the other procedures will be effective or if the tooth structure has been seriously undermined. Crowns have the longest life expectancy of all the possible cosmetic restorations. Your dental team can recommend the best type of restoration for your particular needs.

Ask yourself the question - "If I could wave a magic wand over my teeth and instantly change anything I didn’t like, what would I change?"

Make a list of whatever your answers are. You will be fascinated by what we can do to improve your appearance.

If you have any questions about improving your appearance by cosmetic dentistry, ask us. We will be pleased to discuss how you can get what you want - and deserve!

Enamel Recontouring

Most people wish that they had straight, beautifully aligned, sparkling white teeth. Unfortunately, most people are not that lucky. When teeth are in very poor alignment - rotated, tilted, crowded, the obvious way to correct the problem is by orthodontics - braces. However, there are situations where it may not be possible or desirable to use braces to straighten teeth. The patient might feel that they are too old (although this is rarely the case!), the cost of the orthodontics may preclude their use, the patient does not want to wear braces, or perhaps there are only a few areas that need attention and full orthodontics is not indicated. In certain select cases, the appearance of your top and bottom teeth can be slightly or dramatically improved be recontouring the enamel. The four tops and four-bottom incisors and canines (4) can be routinely altered. Sometimes teeth further back in your mouth can also be cosmetically improved. It is useful when there is slight - moderate overlapping of the front teeth, slight rotation of the front teeth, uneven wear or teeth that do not have their biting and incising edges in harmony - an uneven "picket fence" look. This is usually a painless procedure (no local anesthetic is administered). The enamel that is overlapping or poorly shaped is removed, recontoured and polished. Depending upon your individual needs one or several teeth may require some reshaping and different amounts of enamel may be removed from different teeth. The teeth do not become more prone to decay and they are not made weaker or "damaged" by the procedure.

Many times the recontouring is all that is necessary to significantly improve your appearance. Other times when the poor alignment is more pronounced, it might be done in conjunction with bonding (adding) resin to teeth. What is needed is related to your presenting conditions and what you would like to see changed.

These procedures are not taxing for the patient and can often be done in only one appointment. The change is immediate and permanent. It does take an artistic flair on the part of the dentist to see what possibilities for change exist. We need to know what enamel needs to be removed, where we must add material and where orthodontics is the treatment of choice.

If you have any questions about improving the appearance of your smile and the alignment of your teeth by recontouring the enamel of your teeth, please ask for an evaluation. You might be very surprised at the improvement that is possible.