When you want to improve your smile through cosmetic dental work, you have plenty of choices. While general dentistry emphases on preventing and treating oral complications, cosmetic dentistry is dedicated to improving an individual’s overall facial appearance, including the smile and appearance of his/her teeth.
In most cases, cosmetic procedures are executed for aesthetic reasons, though they also offer some healing benefit as well. Cosmetic dentistry has many different professional cosmetic procedures.
The most common cosmetic procedures in cosmetic dentistry are relatively simple, while some are complex and require specialised care.
Here are the most common cosmetic procedures in cosmetic dentistry.
1. Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is the most popular, straightforward, and least expensive cosmetic dentistry procedure. It is the procedure carried out to correct the discolouration in teeth. During this procedure, the dentist uses different tooth cleaning tools and equipment to eliminate food debris, tartar, and plaque from the surface and crevices of teeth. Depending on the quantity of discolouration, the dentist’s may also use bleaching agents.
2. Dental Bonding
Bonding is the procedure performed to treat chipped, misshapen, discoloured, or cracked teeth. The dentists use a putty-like resin substance to fix the teeth. It is a painless treatment that only takes 45-60 minutes to compete, and if taken proper care, it can last for up to 10 years. The resin is put on the damaged tooth and is hardened with a UV light. Once it is hardened, it is polished to match the other teeth.
3. Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are custom-made thin shells crafted from dental composite or porcelain that covers the front teeth. Dental veneers are used to cover the dental flaws associated with the length, shape, colour, or size of the teeth. The ultra-thin shells are fixed to the teeth using a cementing material. Dental veneers blend flawlessly with other teeth and can last for a projected 20 years without staining.
4. Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are probably the most popular aspect of cosmetic dentistry. They are a cap-like structure that is placed over damaged teeth. Dental crowns are used to cover the chipped, cracked, misshapen, discoloured, damaged or decayed teeth. They restore the appearance, strength, shape, and size of the teeth. They are usually composed of dental composite, ceramic, porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal. If proper care is provided, dental crowns can last long for up to 30 years.
5. Dental Implants
Dental implants can be a great solution to missing or damaged teeth. They are composed of ceramic and titanium and are surgically placed into the jawbone. They are designed to act as a tooth root; hence, they function, look, and feel like natural teeth.
If you have any concerns, you should consult your dentist and discuss which procedure will suit your condition.
