Your smile is the first thing many people notice about you, so if you want to make a good impression, your teeth should be bright and in good shape.
But all of us have flaws in our smiles, such as damaged or crooked teeth. A variety of cosmetic dentistry treatments can improve your appearance by correcting them.
Issues can detract from a smile’s beauty, including the following:
- Misaligned teeth
- Discolored teeth
- Chipped, cracked or broken teeth
- Disproportionately small teeth
- Misshapen teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Crowding of teeth
Fortunately, all of these problems can be resolved through the various cosmetic dentistry treatments. If you visit our office for a consultation, we can recommend specific interventions that will help you to achieve your smile goals.
A cosmetic dental treatment plan may include any number of interventions, depending on how the patient wants to improve his or her smile. Some possibilities include:
- To treat stains from teeth or reverse discoloration that results from exposed dentin as teeth are subjected to wear and tear associated with aging.
- A conservative treatment to conceal minor defects in teeth that can be completed in a single appointment.
- Tooth-shaped porcelain shells that conceal imperfections like chips, cracks, or deep stains that don’t respond to whitening treatments.
Other elements of a cosmetic dentistry treatment plan may include methods for replacing missing teeth (such as bridges), dentures, or implants. The patient may also desire periodontal treatments such as gum lifts and/or angioplasty procedures to improve the appearance of gums (either too prominent or insufficient).
Your cosmetic dentistry journey will begin when your dentist examines your teeth and discusses your smile goals with you. The dentist may also gather other information by taking photos, x-rays or dental impressions, depending on the anticipated treatments. The dentist will use this information to plan a course of treatment that includes all the proposed interventions, which may include teeth whitening and bonding (for whiter smiles) as well as crowns, veneers and other procedures to correct various dental issues.
Coordinated timing of interventions is sometimes required if more than one procedure is being performed at once, such as for orthodontics (straightening of teeth), restorative dentistry (fillings), or implants. Some interventions must be completed prior to others in order to achieve the best results, so it is important that you communicate with adequate time between appointments, especially when scheduling endodontic care - a special type of root canal treatment commonly used for restoring tooth health – around dental implant surgery.
