In present times, dentistry has made it possible for anyone to get a smile makeover. We all have different kinds of dental issues – crooked tooth, misaligned tooth, chipped a tooth, fractured tooth, knocked-out-tooth, missing tooth, and pigmented tooth etc. This different kind of dental issues requires different kinds of procedures to transform your smile. Cosmetic dentistry provides a solution to all kinds of dental issues.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry is an umbrella term used for various types of dental treatments that provide professional oral care. The cosmetic procedures include braces, dental veneers, dental implants, cosmetic bonding, teeth whitening and cosmetic contouring etc. These procedures are used by the dentists to treat gums disease and to straighten misaligned teeth.
Following procedures are used to straighten teeth without braces:
Dental Veneers (also called porcelain veneers) are customized shells that are designed to cover the surface of teeth. The procedure requires removing enamel so that the veneers can be placed on the teeth. The purpose of veneers is to hide stains and irregularities of teeth, to cover chipped or misshaped teeth, to improve the appearance of teeth by making them look straight and aligned.
Cosmetic bonding is a temporary procedure that uses a putty-like substance called composite resin to mask the imperfections of teeth. The resin is bonded to the tooth to make your smile more appealing. The dentist matches the resin to the color of your tooth. After this, the resin is prepared and applied on the tooth. The resin is then polished and hardened using laser or UV light to achieve desired results. This procedure is used to treat chipped, decayed, fractured and pigmented tooth. In some cases, it is also used to fill the gaps between teeth and to protect an exposed root of a tooth due to receding gums.
Cosmetic contouring or enameloplasty is a procedure used to reshape teeth by eliminating minor imperfections. The procedure requires gentle removal of your tooth’s enamel. The dentist uses lasers and drills to change the length and shape of the tooth. After reshaping or contouring the tooth, the dentist will polish it to make your smile more pleasant. This painless procedure is permanent and gives instant results. This procedure works wonders for those who have a good smile but wish to get there shorter or make them appear even. However, if you have chipped, crooked or misaligned teeth then you’ll have to opt for other dental procedures like veneers, braces, and bonding.
Clear aligners or Invisalign are the kind of braces that are designed to be invisible. These braces are made of polyurethane plastic. If you have minor orthodontic problems, then clear aligners can be used as a replacement for traditional metal braces.