Your smile is very important to how people perceive you. Thanks to movie stars, singers, and other celebrities showing off their perfect teeth every chance they get the pressure to have a smile to be proud of is huge. This is why many people are turning to cosmetic dental procedures.
Cosmetic dentistry can help if you have worn, broken, misaligned or otherwise less than perfect teeth. They might be perfectly functional and healthy, but just not look great when you are grinning from ear to ear. The last thing that you want to be is self-conscious about your smile. Even a whitening treatment can go a long way to helping you with your confidence.
If you are worried about how your teeth look, then you shouldn’t hesitate to get in touch with your dentist and ask what can be done. You might be pleasantly surprised by just how affordable the treatments can be. You don’t need to have millions in the bank to have the perfect smile.
Here are seven of the most popular types of cosmetic dental procedures:
Type #1: Dental veneers
These are what can give you the perfect Hollywood smile. They are custom made shells that are attached to the front surface of the teeth. These change everything about each tooth’s appearance. They can easily take anyone’s smile from unremarkable to absolutely perfect.
Dental veneers are not cheap and are often priced per tooth. The results speak for themselves however and in many ways, this new look will pay for itself in no time at all. You can sit back and wait for the compliments to roll in. You won’t need to wait long as veneers look like natural perfect teeth.
Type #2: Crowns
Crowns or caps is a type of cosmetic dental procedure that fits over the top of a decayed or damaged tooth just above the gum line. It is common for this to be done following a root canal or to hold a cracked tooth together. Another application is for them to be used to cover misshaped or teeth that are very discoloured.
Dental crowns can be made from metal, porcelain, ceramic or other material. In recent years, they have become almost indistinguishable from natural teeth. You can be confident that your smile will only be improved through the implanting of a crown.
These types of cosmetic dental procedures are very strong. They work very well as a replacement for natural teeth that you may have lost over the years.
Type #3: Dental bonding
This is a great way to improve the appearance of decayed, chipped or cracked teeth. A putty-like resin is applied to the tooth and then hardened under ultraviolet light. The dentist then begins to sculpt the hard resin into the desired shape.
This can be a great alternative to fillings or other dental procedures. This takes a great deal of skill so be sure to find a dentist that specialized in cosmetic procedures and is focused on aesthetics just as much as function.
Type #4: Indirect fillings
These types of cosmetic dental procedures are sometimes called inlays and onlays. They are made from the usual materials such as gold, porcelain or others and are used to fill in decayed or damaged parts of a tooth.
The plan for these is that they are to preserve as much of the tooth as possible and preventing further decay in the near future. These will only be applicable in certain circumstances and the x-ray that your doctor performs will show when and how this can be done.
Type #5: Teeth Implants
These are for when an entire tooth is missing. A new tooth can be created and inserted directly into the bone socket. New bone will then grow around the implanted tooth and secure it to the jaw.
This type of cosmetic dental procedure will give you back teeth that you are missing and can restore your smile back to its former glory.
Type #6: Bridges
As the name suggests, a bridge is made of a series of crowns to “bridge” the gap between missing teeth. This can be a great and much more affordable option compared to implanted teeth. The drawback is that bridges can come out and may need to be replaced from time to time.
Type #7: Dentures
This may seem like something that only old people need to consider and to a certain extent that is true. However, if you are missing a significant amount of your teeth you should look at this as an option for the short or long term.
When you are missing teeth your jaw begins to realign itself, this can drastically change the shape of your face. Having dentures in will prevent this from happening until another solution presents itself.
