Cy-Fair Lifestyles and Homes Magazine: Medical, Health and Well Being in Cy-Fair, Texas

Everyone seeks to look their best, but the motivation behind that desire is as individual as each person. A beautiful smile can transform an otherwise ordinary face to an extraordinary expression of joy, love, delight or hope. We all agree that a beautiful smile will make you more attractive. Surprisingly or not, however, new research conducted by Beall Research and Training of Chicago reveals that a new smile will make you appear more intelligent, interesting, successful and wealthy to others as well. Depending on your perspective or purpose, through cosmetic dentistry, you can find a multitude of techniques and options to treat whatever issue you have with your smile.

What is cosmetic dentistry?

While traditional, general dentistry focuses on oral hygiene and preventing, diagnosing and treating oral disease, cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of a person ’s teeth, mouth and smile. General dentistry is necessary and cosmetic dentistry is elective, or desired. According to DocShop.com, cosmetic dentistry refers to a host of dental treatments designed to enhance the smile and correct chipped, cracked, discolored and unevenly spaced teeth. Today ’s cosmetic dentists can reshape teeth, close spaces, restore worn or short teeth, alter the length of teeth and even change the color of teeth.Technological advancements in natural-looking, tooth-colored dental materials make today ’s cosmetic dental treatments more durable and predictable than in years past.

According to Allison DiMatteo in Cosmetic Dentistry, dentists are now using more conservative cosmetic dentistry techniques to preserve as much natural tooth structure as possible depending upon each patient ’s specific clinical situation.

Common Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments

Some common cosmetic dentistry treatments include:

Teeth Whitening – Teeth Whitening is perhaps the most common cosmetic dentistry procedure. There are two methods for whitening teeth: laser teeth whitening (performed in the cosmetic dentist ’s office) and at-home teeth bleaching (involving the use of take-home bleaching kits).

Inlays/Onlays – Also known as indirect fillings, inlays and onlays made from porcelain or composite materials are a long-lasting, yet cosmetic way to provide a “filling” to teeth with tooth decay or similar structural damage. Whereas dental fillings are molded into place within the mouth during a dental visit, inlays and onlays are created in a dental laboratory before being fitted and adhesively bonded into place.

Dental Veneers – Composite or porcelain laminates that are adhesively bonded to the surface of a tooth to correct and repair chips and cracks will improve a worn appearance or severe tooth discoloration. Veneers may also be recommended for gaps in the teeth or if teeth whitening has been unsuccessful.

Bonding – Chipped, broken discolored or decayed teeth can benefit from bonding, which involves a dental composite material with the look of enamel and dentin applied into the cavity or onto the surface of a tooth. It is sculpted into shape, contoured and hardened with a high beam light, resulting in a restoration that blends with the surrounding teeth.

Dental Implants – With implants, artificial roots are embedded in the jaw and topped with a prosthetic tooth. These implants compensate for tooth loss, resulting in smile enhancement and more youthful appearance.

Crowns – A dental crown is a cap used to repair badly decayed or damaged teeth. The crown is created from a mold of the original tooth, and then applied after the decay is removed and the tooth is prepared.

Smile Makeover – Making over a smile involves a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s smile in order to improve overall appearance, and it usually involves more than one procedure. For example, dental veneers, implants, gingival sculpting and tooth whitening may be required for several teeth in both the upper and lower arches to achieve the desired look.

Full Mouth Reconstruction – Sometimes when a patient is consulting with a cosmetic dentist regarding aesthetic improvements they want to achieve, the dentist will discover functional problems with the patient ’s bite, muscles, teeth and bone structure. Should this be the case, the materials available today make it possible for any dentist to provide their patients with durable, functional and clinically sound treatments that also look natural.

Which procedure is right for me? Your dentist can answer any of your questions regarding techniques used to improve your individual smile. The condition of your teeth and your desired result often dictates the correct procedure. There are many options:

Stained or discolored teeth can benefit from bleaching or bonding procedures.

Chips or rough sports can be filled with bonding materials, veneers or inlays/onlays.

Cavities or cracks in the front of the mouth exposed by your smile can be filled with composite bonding or inlays/onlays.

Uneven teeth can be recontoured and reshaped, then bonded to match other teeth.

Gaps between the teeth can be closed by applying composite material between the teeth. For larger gaps or other flaws, dentists often recommend veneers.

Broken or crooked teeth may need crowns. Whether all porcelain, or more typically, porcelain with metal inside that fits over the tooth, both types of crowns offer excellent results.

Here are a few questions to ask your dentist.

What will the changes look like? What should I expect through the course of treatment? What type of maintenance will be required? What should I look for in a cosmetic dentist?

In order to make sure your dentist is skilled in cosmetic dentistry, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) recommends that you ask your dentist for the following items before undergoing treatment:

Before and after photos – These photos will allow you to examine the results of other patients being treated by the dentist to make sure his or her work fits your dental needs.

References – References allow you to get a sense of the quality of care the dentist provides.

Proof of continuing education – Be certain that your dentist has taken continuing education courses to keep him or her up-to-date with the latest techniques in clinical cosmetic dentistry.

The Perfect Smile

According to the AACD, in 2008, about $2.75 billion a year is spent on cosmetic dental procedures, and virtually all dentists perform some type of cosmetic service, even though most of these procedures are not covered by dental insurance. The cost of some cosmetic procedures can easily exceed $1,000 a tooth, but despite the cost and in many cases, the inconvenience, many people want their smile “made over.”

So, whether your motivation is to look more attractive, more intelligent or to appear more successful or wealthy, be prepared with the right questions for your dentist and realize that the condition of your teeth, your desired result and your budget often indicate the best procedure for you.