Cosmetic dentistry can give you a better smile if your teeth are discolored, chipped, stained, misaligned, worn, or have gaps between them. It focuses on improving the appearance of your mouth, teeth and smile. The dentist can whiten or reshape your teeth, close spaces, alter the length of your teeth or restore worn or short teeth. Here some of the common types of cosmetic dental procedure are explained.
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening, or bleaching can be done at a dental office or at home. It is one of the simplest and least expensive ways to improve your smile. It can be done in the dentist’s office or buy the mold and gels from your dentist to bleach your teeth at home. Also, there are over the counter products available at retail stores such as white strips, toothpastes, and rinses.
Dental Bonding
Bonding is a tooth-colored, putty-like resin used to repair decayed, damaged, or discolored teeth. It requires a single visit to the dentist and lasts several years. It is more susceptible to staining and chipping than other forms of cosmetic dentistry.
Dental Veneers
Veneers are thin, custom-made porcelain or resin shells that are bonded to the front of the teeth. The dentist will remove a small amount of the enamel to compensate for the added thickness of the veneer. They are used to change the color, shape, size or length of a tooth. They have a longer life expectancy and color stability than bonding.
Dental Crowns
A dental crown fits over and replaces a decayed or damaged tooth to restore it to its normal shape and appearance. It can be used to hold a cracked tooth together, keep a week tooth from breaking or cover a damaged tooth. A crown has the longest life expectancy and is the most time consuming.
Inlays and Onlays
Inlays and onlays are made in a dental lab from composite resin material and adhesively bonded to the tooth. They are used when a tooth has mild to moderate decay or there isn’t enough tooth structure to support a filling. When bonded to the center of the tooth it is called an inlay and an onlay when bonded to one or more points of the tooth or covers the biting surface. They preserve as much of the healthy tooth as possible and are an alternative to crowns.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth. A titanium screw is inserted into the jaw bone at the site of the missing tooth and a crown is attached to it. They look like the surrounding teeth and are permanent.
Dental Braces
Dental braces are used to straighten crooked or misaligned teeth. They apply continuous pressure to slowly move teeth in a specific direction.
Ask New Town Dentistry which procedure is best for you.
