Traditional dentistry has always focused on preventing, diagnosing and treating oral disease while cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of a person's teeth, mouth and smile. Cosmetic dentistry provides more esthetic final outcomes using tooth color filling material or ceramics while traditional dentistry used more gold crowns and silver amalgam fillings to treat problems with the teeth.
Cosmetic Dentistry Trends
Technological advancements in natural-looking, tooth-colored dental materials make today's cosmetic dental treatments more durable and predictable than in years past. Additionally, dentists are now using more conservative cosmetic dentistry techniques to preserve as much of your natural tooth structure as possible, depending upon your specific clinical situation. Many patients even elect to replace their “old†silver fillings with the newer tooth colored materials.
Cosmetic dentists sometimes have to use Dental Lasers in order to perform necessary procedures to help ensure positive esthetic final outcomes. The use of a laser makes cosmetic dental procedures such as esthetic crown lengthening (oftentimes used with smile makeovers) more comfortable and convenient for patients. With the reduced recovery time, treatments can be completed in less time compared to conventional techniques.
Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments
Cosmetic dentistry treatments currently in use include:
Inlays/Onlays: Also known as indirect fillings, inlays and onlays provide a long-lasting yet cosmetic way to provide a "filling" to teeth with tooth decay or structural damage like a fractured cusp. The preparation of the tooth is oftentimes much more conservative compared to a conventional full-coverage crown They are made from either porcelain or composite materials and are usually cemented into place. Conventional dental fillings are packed into place during a dental visit whereas inlays and onlays are created in a dental laboratory before being fitted and adhesively bonded into place by your dentist.
Composite Bonding: Chipped, broken, discolored or decayed teeth may be repaired or have their appearance corrected using a procedure called composite bonding. A dental composite material with the look of enamel and dentin is applied into the cavity or onto the surface of a tooth, where it is then sculpted into shape, contoured and hardened with a high-intensity light. The result is a restoration that blends invisibly with the remainder of the surrounding tooth structure and the rest of your natural teeth to create a healthy, bright smile.
Teeth Whitening: Teeth whitening is perhaps the most commonly recommended cosmetic dentistry procedure. Teeth are often stained from smoking, food, drink (coffee, tea or red wine) or poor oral hygiene. Bleaching the teeth can enhance the appearance of your smile. There are a few different type of professional bleaching systems available: 1. In-office Zoom! 2 (light activated system that normally takes a little over an hour and 2. Take home bleaching systems (require custom trays to be fabricated that allows the bleach to stay on the tooth to allow for optimal whitening).
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 do not require much preparation of the tooth and can really enhance the smile of a patient. Veneers are also recommended if the patient would like to close small gaps between the teeth or to mask dark staining of teeth that has not responded to professional bleaching techniques.
Smile Makeover: Smile makeovers involve a comprehensive assessment of your smile esthetics in order to improve its overall appearance. Before beginning a Smile Makeover case, it is critical to make study models of the teeth so that the dentist and laboratory can review the case prior to preparing teeth for restorations. Typically to achieve a true makeover, one or more cosmetic dentistry procedures (dental veneers, all porcelain crowns, gingival sculpting and teeth whitening) will be required on several teeth in both the upper and lower arches.
Cosmetic dentistry can help you feel better about your smile. However, it starts with finding a Dentist that is well trained in cosmetics which will help ensure the best final results.