Types of Cosmetic Dental Surgery

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Types of Cosmetic Dental Surgery

If your teeth are stained, worn, discolored, broken, chipped, misshaped, or misaligned, you may consider a cosmetic dental procedure to correct the problem. Also known as a “smile makeover,” cosmetic dental procedures help to improve the appearance of you smile, leaving you confident and brimming with self-esteem. Even scientific studies show that a confident smile beats good looks!

Here are five easy options that you can try today;

Teeth whitening

Teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic dental procedure. You can have your teeth bleached in the dentist’s office for a few hundred dollars or buy over-the-counter whitening products for use at home.

Dental veneers

Veneers are ultra-thin shells of tooth-colored resin or porcelain used to cover the front surface of the tooth. Your dentist will remove about half a millimeter of enamel from the tooth surface and then cement the veneers to the front of the tooth. Veneers help to change appearance, size, color, shape, and even length of the tooth.

Dental crowns

Crowns are cosmetic dental caps designed to fit over and replace the entire damaged or decayed tooth above the gum line. Like veneers, they are also used to restore the size, shape, strength, and appearance of teeth. Crowns can also be used to hold a cracked tooth together or keep a weak tooth from breaking.

Inlays and onlays

Also known as indirect fillings, inlays and onlays are made in medical laboratories and used when the tooth has mild to moderate decay. They can also be helpful where there is not enough tooth structure to support a filling. They are often made from gold, porcelain, or composite materials and molded into place during an office visit. The filling is called an inlay if it is bonded in the center of the tooth and an outlay if it covers the biting surface.

Dental implants

Finally, implants are titanium replacement tooth roots that are inserted into the bone sockets of missing teeth. The jawbone is then left to heal, anchoring the dental implant in position and thus providing a foundation for replacement teeth.

Bottom line

There are several other options such as dentures, dental bonding, bridges, and dental braces. Once you explain your problem to the dentist, he or she will inform you of the possible solutions and even recommend the best cosmetic dental procedure for your case.