Cosmetic dentistry is more popular than ever, from whitening and shaping to closing spaces and replacing teeth. And dentists have a large selection of tools and techniques for improving the look of your smile
Scaling
Dentists typically use periodontal scaling and root planing as the first steps in the treatment of gum disease.
Periodontal scaling and root planing are nonsurgical. They are more of a deep cleaning that is done with handheld instruments or ultrasonic devices.
Researchers say that deep cleaning with ultrasonic instruments has similar results to manual deep cleaning with handheld instruments. Both treatments produce significant clinical results, but ultrasonic cleaning is faster, taking 20% to 50% less time than manual cleaning.
Teeth Whitening
Over time, teeth can become stained or discolored, especially after smoking, taking certain medications, or consuming foods and beverages such as coffee and tea. Using a chemical process, your dentist can bleach your teeth in one of two ways. They can do an in-office procedure, or provide you with a system to use at home.
Your dentist can create a custom mouthpiece tray that ensures the right amount of whitening solution reaches your teeth. You may find whitening at home more convenient. But it can take 2 to 4 weeks or longer depending on the strength of peroxide used. In-office whitening can take place in one or more 1- to 2-hour visits.
Keep in mind, your teeth can become stained again if you continue exposing them to the same substances that originally stained them. Because whitening products are not meant to clean teeth, it is still important to continue practicing daily oral hygiene by brushing twice a day, flossing at least once a day, and rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash daily.
Bonding
Bonding may improve how your teeth look if they have excess space between them, or if they are chipped, broken, stained, or cracked.
Dentists also use bonding materials to fill small cavities or to protect the exposed root of a tooth.
The dentist can usually do this procedure in a single office visit by applying an etching solution followed by tooth-colored materials – sometimes composite resins – directly to the tooth’s surface where needed.
Although bonding can last for several years, it is more likely than other types of restorations to chip or become stained or just wear down.
Veneers
These custom shells, typically made of porcelain (sometimes plastic), cover the front sides of the teeth to change their color and/or shape. Veneers last longer than bonding and provide a superior appearance. Veneers can improve teeth that:
- Have spaces between them
- Have become chipped or worn
- Are permanently stained
- Are poorly shaped
- Are slightly crooked
Before inserting veneers, the dentist first takes an impression of your tooth, then buffs the tooth before cementing the veneer in place. A beam of light helps harden the cement, which secures the veneer to your tooth.
Porcelain veneers are made in a laboratory, so you need a second visit to the dentist to have them inserted.
Crowns
Sometimes called caps, crowns completely cover a tooth, restoring a normal shape and appearance. You may need a crown to:
- Cover a misshapen or discolored tooth
- Protect a weak tooth
- Restore a broken or worn tooth
- Cover a tooth with a large filling
- Hold a dental bridge in place
- Cover a dental implant
- Cover a tooth that’s had a root canal procedure
Crowns can be made from metal, porcelain fused to metal, resin, or ceramic materials. Because crowns are costly, dentists usually suggest them only when other procedures can’t produce a pleasing result.
Sometimes, a dentist can make an in-office same-day crown, or a temporary crown. Some offices can mill a crown on the same day. The dentist prepares the tooth for the crown, makes molds of the tooth or takes a digital impression, provides you with a temporary crown if sending it to a lab, and then places the permanent crown at a separate time.
Permanent crowns can have a long life if you take good care of them.
Enamel Shaping and Recontouring
Enamel shaping and recontouring (also called odontoplasty, enameloplasty, stripping, or slenderizing) involves removing or contouring dental enamel. The procedure is usually done to improve the appearance of teeth by creating more balance in the look of the smile. Recontouring is the most conservative cosmetic treatment. It’s a quick and painless procedure and the results can be seen right away.
- Reshaping and recontouring can be used to improve:
- Crooked or overlapping teeth
- Chipped and irregular teeth
- Minor bite problems
- Bulges or pits in a tooth’s enamel
- The length of the canines (the pointed teeth on the side of your mouth)
Other Periodontal Plastic Procedures
An array of other procedures can also improve your smile. They include procedures to help with:
- An uneven gum line
- Teeth that look too short or too long
- Exposed roots
- Indentations in your gums or jawbone
If problems like these are a concern for you, ask your dentist about your best options for correcting them and creating a smile that you can be proud of.