Cosmetic dentistry covers a variety of dental services that help to enhance the overall appearance of one's smile. The goal is to improve the teeth and gum's color, shape, health, curvature, and symmery for maximum aesthetics.
At Clarity Dentistry, we understand that having a stunning, bright smile can help boost your self-confidence and provide a more positive outlook on life. Your smile makeover can be achieved through a wide array of our cosmetic dental services.
Cosmetic dentistry may not seem complex, however, it requires several advanced skills of a cosmetic dentist. These attributes include a good eye, in-depth knowledge of dental anatomy, and a mastery of dental materials. In addition, the dentist must be capable of sharing his or her vision to a lab technician, who is a very important player making any smile makeover a reality.
In the dental profession, cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty, but it takes many years of extensive study, training, and practice to be capable of performing the numerous cosmetic dental procedures presently available to world-class standards.
The primary goal of cosmetic dentistry is to enhance the look of a person’s smile. However, a number of cosmetic procedures may restore function and/or enhance oral health as well.
A fairly inexpensive way of brightening your smile, teeth whitening can be done at home or at the dentist’s office. There are various products and techniques one can choose from which are offered at our Clarity Dentistry office. The most common is the in-office whitening, which consists of a professionally applied peroxide whitening gel, coupled with a light cured barrier to protect the gums from sensitivity. The take-home version requires custom whitening trays that are fabricated by the dentist, with a whitening gel of slightly lesser concentration that is dispensed. The patient then adds the gel to the trays and wears them at home based on the usage recommendations by the manufacturer.
Veneers are super-strong teeth coverings that are made from either porcelain or composite material. They are permanently bonded to the exterior surface of each tooth, essentially refacing it concealing any of the tooth’s defects. Common tooth defects remedied by veneers can include staining, misalignment, spacing, small teeth, etc. Porcelain veneers are fabricated in a dental lab by a technician, and it takes a lot of knowledge and communication from the dentist to achieve optimal results. Whereas, composite veneers can be created by hand, using the same tooth-colored material mentioned previously.
The appearance and strength of cracked or spaced teeth can be drastically improved by attaching a tooth-colored composite resin (filling) to them. Such procedures don’t require much drilling or preparation of the tooth, and are generally completed in a single visit. By adding the tooth-colored material to the teeth, the dentist is able reform the tooth or fill in the spaces, which greatly enhances their overall shape and appearance.
In the past, amalgam or silver filling materials were used to restore the form and function of a tooth after the decay is removed. However, this material was both noticeable and unappealing due to it’s dark, matte color. Dentistry has evolved considerably since amalgam was initially used and offers tooth-colored filling materials that are super durable and hardly noticeable. There are a number of shades of composite materials that can match your own teeth.
All porcelain, tooth-colored crowns can be used in lieu of veneers, and are the best solution for certain situations. They replace more normal tooth structure than veneers, and are best if a tooth is severely damaged, cracked, frail, etc. Again, certain circumstances warrant the need for crowns over veneers, and that is best decided by you and your cosmetic dentist.
Porcelain bridges are one of the most common treatments used today to replace a missing tooth or multiple teeth. They are two or more porcelain crowns that are attached together and cemented to an anchor tooth/teeth. They are also custom fabricated in a dental lab by a technician and can be constructed to be extremely aesthetically pleasing.
A minor operation with a dental laser can slightly modify gum tissue to give it a more level appearance and ideal curvature.
A dental drill or hard tissue laser can be used by cosmetic dentists to either smooth or reshape teeth for a more ideal cosmetic look.
