Guide to Cosmetic Dental Work
Having crooked or unattractive teeth can cause self-consciousness, but cosmetic dentistry can help. This particular dentistry is an area focusing on improving the appearance of teeth or gums. There are several procedures to make anyone excited about showing off their smile again or for the first time.
Teeth Whitening
Over time teeth can become stained with soda and coffee. Enamel can breakdown causing teeth to turn yellow. Whitening or bleaching is the process of restoring the color of the tooth’s surface by removing stains and debris. This can be done using an at-home kit or professionally in a dentist’s office. This is not a permanent solution, so whitening will need to be done periodically for touch-ups.
Tooth Reshaping
When a tooth is cracked, chipped, or crooked, reshaping can be done in a single session to correct the problem. In certain situations, tooth reshaping can be an alternate to braces, but tooth reshaping should only be done for minor changes or fixes. Candidates for this procedure must have healthy teeth.
Veneers
Veneers can correct teeth that have worn enamel, unevenness, abnormal teeth, and teeth that have become cracked or chipped. A veneer is a shell or tooth-colored porcelain that is placed on the surface of the tooth to improve its appearance. Veneers can be fragile, so the dentist may advise avoiding certain foods in order to prevent veneers from cracking.
Dentures
Dentures are fake, removable teeth that come in two forms, partial and complete. Partial dentures are used when some of the natural teeth are still intact, while complete dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing. Complete dentures are either conventional or immediate. Conventional dentures cannot be put into the mouth until 8-12 weeks after the teeth have been pulled. Immediate dentures can be place directly in the mouth after teeth have been removed without any healing time. Partial dentures are attached to a plastic base and kept in place by metal framework.
Crowns
Common uses of dental crowns include holding a dental bridge in place, covering severely discolored teeth, holding parts of a cracked tooth together, protecting a damaged tooth from breaking, and restoring a worn down or broken tooth. Crowns are placed over the entire tooth, covering its appearance. Crowns are available in several different materials like metal, all-porcelain, and all-ceramic.