What is Cosmetic Dentistry? Its Procedures and Types

The main goal of cosmetic dentistry is to enhance the aesthetics and appearance of a smile, teeth, gums and mouth. Common cosmetic dentistry procedure includes dental bonding, teeth whitening, veneers, and dental implants.

If you have worn, chipped, discolored, broken, stained, misshapen, gapped, or misaligned teeth, cosmetic dentistry can help you restore your smile. Depending on your condition, it may take one or more cosmetic procedures to improve the appearance of your smile.

Below are five types of cosmetic dentistry:

• Dental implants

Implants are a good replacement for damaged or lost teeth. A dentist places a titanium screw in the jaw in the missing tooth’s space, acting as an anchor for the crown. An implant is secured when it fuses with the bone and supporting tissue.

The implant will look just like a natural tooth.

• Teeth whitening

With time teeth can get stains from smoking, certain medication, and consuming dark-colored drinks and foods such as tea, berries, and coffee. Teeth whitening bleaches the teeth’s surface to give the teeth a whiter and brighter appearance.

There are two ways to whiten teeth that are at-home and in-office teeth whitening. Professional teeth whitening yields better results than whitening products like Whitestrips, toothpaste and rinses.

• Inlays and Onlays

This procedure is also called indirect fillings. Our cosmetic dentist near you recommends inlays and onlays to patients with mild to moderate decay or inadequate tooth structure to hold a filling. If the tooth cusps are in perfect shape, an inlay is set on the tooth surface; however, if there’s damage to the cusps or a part of the tooth, the dentist places an onlay over the tooth, covering it entirely.

Indirect fillings can be made out of ceramic or porcelain. They help teeth reinstate their shape and prevent further decay.

• Veneers

Dental veneers are caps that are placed over the natural teeth. They are customized for every patient to look like their natural teeth. People with cracked, crooked, or gapped teeth and damaged enamel can benefit from this procedure.

Come to Steve Horne, DDS, if you need veneers.

• Dental Bonding

Dental bonding entails the application of tooth-colored resin on the teeth to repair cracks, chips, tooth decay and discoloration. In addition, dental bonding can alter a tooth’s shape to make it wider, longer, or more uniform.

Dental bonding can last for at least five to seven years. In addition, the procedure is completely reversible because, during installation, no tooth enamel is removed.

Now, let’s look at the benefits of cosmetic dentistry.

What are The Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry

Below are some benefits of cosmetic dental treatments:

• Enhances your appearance

Whether you have gaps between teeth, discolored, cracked, crooked, missing or chipped teeth, cosmetic dentistry can help you attain a more attractive, straighter and healthy smile. Cosmetic procedures can most types of dental imperfections.

• Improve your dental health

Cosmetic dentistry Encinitas, CA, can help you improve your dental health. It’s easy to brush and floss teeth that are uniformly shaped and straight, and the awkward or tight spaces where plaque can get trapped reduce. This lowers your chances of developing periodontal disease, tooth decay and other oral health issues.

• Improve your diet

Some dental issues can impact the type of food you consume. For example, people with chipped or missing teeth have difficulty chewing certain foods. In addition, missing several teeth can affect the way you eat.

An improper or uneven bite can hinder you from chewing correctly, leading to digestion issues. Cosmetic procedures like inlays or onlays can aid in strengthening your bite and enhance your chewing ability.

• Alleviates pain

Cosmetic dentistry treatments like dental implants or veneers can help reduce the pain you are experiencing from a decayed or cracked tooth. Instead of using pain relievers to manage the pain, consider seeking cosmetic dentistry treatments.

• Prevent further damage

Cosmetic dentistry helps to strengthen teeth which prevent future damage. In addition, treatments like dental bonding can restore cracked or chipped teeth which would have worsened if not addressed.

Is Cosmetic Dentistry Painful?

People can be hesitant about visiting the dentist because they fear pain. However, you don’t have to worry about pain if you want cosmetic dental treatments. Our dentist in Encinitas prioritizes your comfort and will do everything to make your visit as comfortable as possible.

Most cosmetic dental treatments are non-invasive, and for the other procedures, you will receive a mild sedative or local anesthetic to help alleviate any discomfort.