Other than biting and chewing, your teeth give you a beautiful smile that boosts your confidence and self-esteem. Smiling broadly and enjoying life is hard when you have discolored, stained, misshapped, chipped, gapped, or broken teeth. For that reason, cosmetic dentistry aims to boost your smile and how you look and feel about yourself.
Cosmetic dentists are highly trained, specialized dentists who work with you to achieve your desired smile. They offer a wide range of dental services, including the installation of braces, veneers, dental implants, and teeth whitening. The services you choose depend on your exact needs. When you discuss your concerns with a cosmetic dentist, they develop a treatment plan that incorporates those needs and fits within your budget.
Thus, if you desire to improve your smile or have more sparkly teeth, you have a wide range of options in cosmetic dentistry. A skilled and experienced dentist will guide you in making the right decision for your needs.
Cosmetic Dental Services
Dentists play a vital role in the health of your teeth, gums, and bones. They offer preventive services to protect you from common dental issues like cavities and gum disease. They also provide diagnosis and treatment for dental or oral problems. Additionally, dentists offer various cosmetic dentistry services to improve your look and feel. If you struggle with how your teeth appear, you can improve them through cosmetic dentistry. Here are some standard dental services under cosmetic dentistry:
Treatment for Gummy Smile
You have a gummy smile if your gum tissue is protruding. People with gummy smiles are uncomfortable smiling broadly because their gums are more protruding or exposed than their beautiful teeth. A gummy smile also makes your teeth appear short. If the tissue along the front teeth seems excessive, you can seek a cosmetic dentist's help to improve it. With their help, you can enjoy a more beautiful and confident smile through contouring.
Dentists perform gum contouring by reshaping your gum tissue and repositioning your gum line. It is a surgical procedure that removes excess gum and tissues to improve your teeth’s length and how you feel. The cosmetic dentist working on you will determine the thickness of your gum tissue and trim any excess tissue to improve your gum appearance. The process works very well for most patients. If it does not work for you, the dentist will recommend an alternative treatment to give you the desired smile.
But first, they must evaluate your suitability for this procedure. They must also examine you for other dental or oral issues. You cannot undergo a surgical procedure until you are treated for any other dental or oral issue.
Installation of Dental Veneers
If your teeth are overly spaced, out of shape, or discolored, your dentist can recommend dental veneers. They are thin shells made from porcelain that fit over the tooth’s surface to correct specific issues. The installation is usually permanent to give you the color, shape, and size of the tooth you have always desired. Veneers are loved for their versatility. They can transform your teeth significantly and permanently without increasing their size.
Cosmetic dentists use dental veneers for several applications, including changing the positioning of your teeth in the gum and changing the shape and color of your teeth. The appliances are created in a dental lab to fit your problematic teeth perfectly. They are also solid enough to withstand the pressure of chewing and biting. Thus, you will enjoy a more beautiful smile for a very long time. Additionally, porcelain does not easily stain or change color.
You can also use a veneer to protect and cover a damaged tooth. If your front tooth is chipped or broken and it affects your smile, your dentist can recommend installing a veneer over it.
The treatment starts with examining your teeth and gums to ensure they are healthy before installation. The dentist will then gently file your teeth to reshape them for easier installation of veneers. They will take an impression of your filed teeth to create veneers in the lab. You will wear temporary veneers to protect your prepared teeth before your installations are ready.
Installation of Invisalign Braces
Uneven or overlapping teeth will affect how you smile and your confidence. They could also cause other dental and oral issues, like cavities and gum disease, primarily if they affect how you keep your mouth and teeth clean. But you can align your teeth with Invisalign braces, thanks to cosmetic dentistry. The majority of people who wear braces are children and teenagers. But adults today embrace achieving the smile they always desire.
Invisalign braces work just like traditional braces. The dentist installs them and instructs you to keep them for a particular period to move your teeth to their rightful positions. Braces are very effective in straightening teeth. But metal braces are noticeable; everyone will notice what you are trying to achieve. But Invisalign is unnoticeable, making it an ideal solution to straighten an uneven smile without everyone noticing.
Invisalign is customized, and tooth aligners are clear. They are designed to fit snugly over the teeth. Once installed, they will gradually pull your teeth into position, giving you perfect-looking teeth over time. Invisalign is also removable. You can remove them for a few minutes to eat and clean your teeth. However, you must wear them for over 20 hours daily to achieve the desired look within the treatment period.
Installation of Invisalign braces starts with the dentist examining your teeth and evaluating your suitability for teeth aligners. They will then take impressions of your teeth to create the aligners in the lab. They will replace the aligners every two or three weeks during treatment as your teeth shift in position.
Teeth Whitening
Even though human teeth are usually not sparkly when young, they are beautiful. However, that beauty changes as you grow due to several factors, including aging, what you eat and drink, and medication. Some teeth lose their sparkle and color, while others become stained. Smiling broadly is difficult when you think your teeth are less than perfect. But you can improve your smile through whitening.
Teeth bleaching is a highly sought-after cosmetic dentistry service for people with stained or yellowish teeth who wish to improve their smile. Several factors contribute to teeth staining or discoloration, including cigarette smoking and colored foods and drinks like coffee, tea, and soda. Your teeth can also discolor if you grind them habitually or expose them to fluoride or specific medications.
Teeth whitening is an inexpensive and easy way to improve your smile. Your cosmetic dentist will start the treatment process by examining your teeth to determine the extent of discoloration or staining. They will then discuss your treatment options based on your problem's severity. For example, you can choose the Zoom or Kor teeth whitening process. Kor uses a more powerful bleaching gel to penetrate your tooth’s core without a laser or light. Zoom entails using light or a laser to activate the hydrogen peroxide agent in a whitening solution.
The dentist can conduct teeth whitening in their office, or you can do it at home. It depends on how stained your teeth are and your preferred whitening method.
Installation of Dental Implants
Every tooth in your mouth is essential and serves an important function. Chewing, biting, speaking, or smiling confidently is difficult when one or more of your teeth are missing. Missing teeth are common in people of all ages, including children and older adults. You could lose your teeth in an accident or due to a cavity or gum disease. Replacing your teeth immediately after losing them is advisable to maintain a fully functional mouth and a beautiful smile.
Dentists have a wide range of tooth replacement solutions for various needs. After the examination, you can discuss your needs with your dentist to determine the best treatment for your missing tooth. Remember that this must be done right after losing your tooth. If it takes a long time to replace a missing tooth, the adjacent teeth could shift to take up the space left by the missing teeth, affecting your teeth' alignment and bite. Unreplaced missing teeth also cause bone loss and affect your facial appearance.
Dental implants are highly recommended for replacing missing teeth. They are synthetic structures the dentist can fix to your jaw to support an artificial tooth. The implant takes the position of a lost tooth structure to support its replacement. Once the installation is done, the dentist gives the jaw time to heal and grow around the implant, securing it in place. They become solid and sturdy supporting structures, just like a natural tooth. Thus, you can use your teeth as before without worrying that the implement will break or come off.
Cosmetic dentists create dental implants that look and feel exactly like your lost natural teeth. No one needs to know that you have an implant. But your dentist must determine your suitability for this kind of tooth replacement.
Dental Inlays and Onlays
Cosmetic dentists have different ways of treating a damaged tooth. If part of your tooth is missing due to an injury or cavity, your dentist can recommend filling it up with a dental filling material to restore its appearance and strength. The dentist makes the filling material in the lab and fills it in your tooth the same day you visit their office. The process is quick, simple, and expensive.
The procedure is called an inlay if the dentist fills the material in the center of your tooth. It is an onlay if the treatment site is on the tooth’s biting surface or side.
Enamel Bonding
Enamel, composite, or dental bonding is a cosmetic procedure recommended if you have decayed, chipped, or damaged teeth. Your teeth can chip or break in an accident or after a heavy blow to your mouth. Bonding helps restore the natural appearance and functionality of your damaged teeth. Dentists use the dental filling material to bond or repair a damaged tooth. They then shape the mended tooth to restore its shape and appearance.
After examining your damaged tooth and declaring you a good candidate for dental bonding, your dentist will prepare the tooth for treatment. They will then generously apply the bonding to the tooth, using an ultraviolet light or laser to harden it. Note that the material used in this case will have the same color and texture as a natural tooth. That way, your teeth and smile will appear natural after treatment.
Once the material is well-cemented on the tooth, the dentist will trim the excess, shape, and polish the treated tooth to give it an excellent natural shape. The entire process takes about 40 minutes in an outpatient setting. It is also quick, painless, and inexpensive.
Installation of a Dental Crown
If a tooth is severely damaged due to an injury or cavity, but a part of it is still there, its look and functionality could be impacted. In that case, your dentist can recommend installing a dental crown to restore its shape and functionality. Cosmetic dentists use dental implants to replace a lost or damaged tooth, provided its underlying structures remain intact and functional. Crowns restore a tooth’s lost appearance, shape, size, and strength.
If your tooth is cracked and you are afraid it has lost its functionality or could worsen with time, a crown could strengthen it and protect it from further damage. Sometimes dentists use dental crowns to cover misshaped, severely stained, or discolored teeth.
Crowns are made from resin, ceramic, metal, or porcelain-to-metal materials. The choice you make will depend on your budget and personal preference. Your dentist will guide you in choosing a crown material that is sturdy, durable, and affordable.
Find Competent Cosmetic Dentistry Services Near Me
Your teeth’ appearance is as important as your oral health and general well-being. Your smile gives you confidence, enhances your beauty, and boosts your self-esteem. Even as you worry about preventive and curative dental care, you should consider cosmetic dental care if you need to improve the appearance and functionality of your teeth.
We offer a wide range of cosmetic dentistry services at Northridge Advanced Dentistry. Our cosmetic dentists have the proper training and skills to diagnose, advise, and treat your needs properly. We will discuss your examination results, treatment options, and preferences to ensure you are satisfied with your treatment. Call us at 818-701-3010 to learn more about cosmetic dentistry in Northridge and our services.
