Many people are looking for a more harmonic smile, with clearer, aligned and uniform teeth. Therefore, knowing what cosmetic dentistry is and the procedures in this area can be the first step to recovering your business card: your smile! Below, find out more about this branch of dentistry and learn about the treatments available!
The very name of the specialization helps us to identify what cosmetic dentistry is. This branch is responsible for offering dental solutions to patients seeking to correct, restore, or change the appearance of their teeth. Even with “aesthetics” in the name, this area goes far beyond simply the pursuit of beauty, as the objectives also involve improving oral health through repairs, such as rebuilding broken teeth and correcting bites. With technological development, today it is possible to have less invasive materials and procedures available that provide a more natural end result and similar to customer expectations. Oftentimes, general dentists can provide some or all cosmetic procedures to resolve any aesthetic issues that you may face, but sometimes, going to a cosmetic dental specialist is required or desired.
The most sought-after aesthetic dental treatments
Now that you know what cosmetic dentistry is, it's time to find out about the most common procedures in the specific area or specialization of dentistry.
Tooth whitening
Teeth whitening is the most popular procedure among patients. It aims to whiten the color of the teeth to make them look clearer. With the advancement of whitening techniques, it is now possible to choose, together with your dentist, a variety of different techniques, such as at-home, in-office, in-house, laser or LED whitening.
Dental contact lenses (Lumineers) and porcelain veneers
The placement of dental contact lenses or porcelain veneers (both of which will vary in thickness) is aimed at restoring features such as:
- stained or discolored teeth;
- small defects in the structure, cracks or broken parts of the teeth;
- changes in the size, color and shape of the smile;
- closure of spacing between teeth.
Both materials have a very similar appearance and color to the natural one and can be molded and glued onto the patient's teeth to obtain the desired smile, essentially covering the existing unslightly teeth with the veneers or lenses to make the teeth appear well-shaped, white, and straight. The difference between dental contact lenses and porcelain veneers is mostly the thickness of the material that is placed over the existing tooth; how much the existing teeth need to be ground down (generally, veneers require more griding of the existing teeth than lenses or Lumineers); cost, and durability of the final product.
Dental implants
The dental implant is one of the main innovations not only in cosmetic dentistry, but also in restorative dentistry. This procedure encompasses different techniques to replace lost teeth and to rebuild the appearance of the smile. The most common technique is the placement of titanium implants fixed to the jaw bone. After the recovery process, the artificial teeth are screwed into the dental implants, offering an aesthetic optimization solution, improving self-esteem and the patients' masticatory (chewing) and digestive functions.