In a world where a dazzling smile can be a winning feature of beauty, simply maintaining a healthy oral hygiene regimen may not be enough. Preventing tooth decay and removing plaque is certainly essential, but it won’t change anything if you have crooked, imperfect or discolored teeth. In these cases, you may need more than a dentist. A specialist with the aesthetic sensibility of a skilled cosmetic surgeon can provide you with a smile that you never thought you’d have. This is the thrust behind the increasingly popular field of cosmetic dentistry. A wide range of procedures is now available for the consideration of anyone looking to possess a perfect set of pearly whites.

Teeth whitening is the process most commonly associated with cosmetic dentistry. It involves the use of a bleaching agent to scour the teeth, causing them to reach a whiteness that may even exceed their original color. The gums are protected with a special coating that keeps the bleach chemical from burning and injuring them. Home kit versions of this process are available, but the best results are those that you can obtain from a professional.

Chipped and broken teeth are the result of many different causes, including sports accidents, tripping and falling indoors, or even mistakenly chewing on something that was too hard to bite. To restore them to their former even shape, cosmetic dentists may recommend a technique known as composite bonding. This procedure utilizes a special dental material that resembles enamel and dentin, which are the natural components of a tooth. The material is sculpted and contoured in accordance with the desired shape of the treated teeth, then hardened with exposure to a high-intensity light. The restored area blends seamlessly with the original teeth.

Sometimes, a person’s teeth will not respond well to conventional bleach whitening procedures, which can happen if the white enamel overlay has substantially deteriorated, leaving only the yellow dentin behind. Bleaching in these instances will only make what little enamel that remains look transparent. In these cases, porcelain veneers, extremely thin laminates, will be custom-built for each affected tooth and attached to its surface with a permanent adhesive. Veneers are excellent for filling in gaps between teeth, as the veneer panel can be shaped to cover any deficiency. They will also act as a set of white screens, covering the dentin without hampering the chopping and chewing function of your teeth.

And then, there are instances where the tooth has decomposed so much, or been damaged so heavily, that barely any tooth remains at all. Severe tooth decay is usually the culprit of such an unfortunate situation. In these instances, a cosmetic dentist will utilize porcelain or ceramic crowns to be sealed over the damaged tooth. These crowns are designed to look exactly like the patient’s teeth, so it will be as if they’ve grown brand new teeth to replace the old ones. With the bonding technology now widely available and in use, these crowns can withstand even the most vigorous chewing motions in which the molars are normally engaged.

Lastly, by way of tribute to conventional cosmetic surgical procedures, cosmetic dentists have introduced a technique known as a gum lift, where the gum area is raised and sculpted to make a person’s teeth look more symmetrical or longer. These are just a few of the many elective procedures offered by your friendly cosmetic dentist, with the added benefit that these methods also have therapeutic value. The replacement devices used by a cosmetic dentist also perform the work of teeth that can no longer bite and chew. Truly, form and function combine wonderfully in the enhanced smile of a satisfied patient.