Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry

Times have changed, and people today are a lot more conscious of their appearance. Technological advancements in the field of plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry have also helped in changing attitudes toward what constitutes a necessary treatment. Gone are the days when people went to a dentist only when they suffered pain, or needed to get an extraction done. Today, people are willing to visit a dentist for maintaining their smiles, or enhancing its attractiveness. They realize that a beautiful smile can be a big asset!

Below are some of the procedures that fall under cosmetic dentistry:

• Teeth Whitening: This procedure uses chemical bleaching to whiten discolored or stained teeth.
• Bonding: This removes the spaces between teeth, apart from correcting defects like a cracked or chipped tooth.
• Veneers: These are customized plastic or porcelain shells covering front teeth. The result from veneers is superior to that of bonding, in terms of both longevity and appearance.
• Crowns: Also known as caps, crowns provide complete coverage over the original damaged or discolored tooth. It can also be used for teeth that have undergone a root canal treatment. Crowns are not just cosmetic in nature; they also restore normal functionality to damaged teeth.
• Bridges: Like crowns, bridges are also generally used to replace a missing tooth, and, in the process, restore the overall look of your mouth.
• Braces: Braces are used for correcting problems like crowded or crooked teeth, irregular bite or incorrect jaw position. Braces reposition the teeth over a period of time, and give you the perfect smile!
• Implants: Implants are a superior, though more expensive, solution for replacing missing teeth.
• Enamel Shaping and Contouring: This process is used to alter the shape and length of your teeth, and correct minor bite issues. It involves removal and/or contouring of teeth enamel, and is usually combined with bonding.
• Periodontal Plastic Procedures: These procedures are related to gums and involve correcting the gum line, indentations in the gum or jaw bones, and exposed tooth roots. Teeth that appear too long or too short can also be corrected with these procedures.

Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry

• Boosts Confidence: Defects in teeth and gums are difficult to hide. They not only impact your smile but your whole facial appearance. Sometimes, these problems can greatly mar your confidence. Thankfully, many of these defects can be corrected with the help of cosmetic dentistry, giving your self-confidence a great boost.
• Improves Smile: Doing what one can to improve the smiles of thousands is a noble task! Cosmetic dentistry procedures like whitening and bonding can go a long way in making your smile even more beautiful.
• Corrects defects like damaged or broken teeth: Cosmetic dentistry isn’t all about expensive procedures to enhance your looks. Damaged or broken teeth need to be treated to ensure there is no further damage to them. Procedures like bonding, bridges, and crowns are usually used for saving teeth.
• Replaces Missing Teeth: It is extremely important to replace missing teeth in order to restore the ability to eat, chew and digest food properly, as well as to prevent adjacent teeth getting repositioned.
• Restores facial appearance marred by oral diseases and accidents: Periodontal diseases and accidents may damage your teeth, gums and soft tissues like your cheeks and tongue. Cosmetic dentistry procedures can be used to restore your facial appearance, once these problems have been treated successfully.
• Encourages you to take better care of your oral health: Finally, having undergone expensive and time consuming procedures, you are more likely to be aware of the cons of not taking proper care of your teeth and gums, and more conscious of following good oral hygiene.

Dentists have also come a long way, and they now have sophisticated tools and techniques to dramatically improve the way you look.