People whose teeth are worn, stained, chipped, discolored, broken, misaligned, or have gaps between them might benefit from a cosmetic dentistry procedure. It’s important to have confidence in your smile, and a “smile makeover” might just change your life! We explain the types of cosmetic procedures and common reasons why people need these services.
Types of Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures
Your cosmetic dentist will work with you to develop a customized plan of treatment depending on your specific needs. Popular cosmetic dental procedures include teeth whitening, dental bonding, and veneers. Teeth whitening can be the simplest way to improve the oral aesthetic. You can have your teeth lightened in-office or get a home whitening kit.
Dental bonding is where the dentist applies a putty-like, durable resin material to your teeth and hardens it using a laser or ultraviolet light so it will bond to the teeth. They then trim, shape, and polish the resin. It is in your white shade of choice. Bonding can repair chipped, decayed, misshapen, or cracked teeth and is a viable cosmetic replacement or alternative to fillings.
Finally, dental veneers are custom-made shells of resin or porcelain covering the enamel. After removing a small bit of enamel, the veneers are bonded to the teeth, changing their shape, color, size, or length.
How Long Do the Procedures Take?
Through these and other services, professional cosmetic dentists can remove most tooth imperfections. These procedures can be completed in a single appointment. Your plan may include one treatment to address immediate issues or multiple treatments for a full makeover.
Aurora Dental Group offers invisible teeth alignment, porcelain veneers, and crowns, composite bonding, insertion of tooth-colored fillings and other state-of-the-art services. We use the latest technology and tried and true products. The team boasts vast expertise accumulated through experience and training.
Reasons People Need Cosmetic Dentistry
Prevention is the best treatment. Here, we go into common causes of tooth discoloration and other dental issues. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that bad foods are the most common cause. The worst foods are those that cause buildup in the oral cavity. Food particles cause bad breath and form plaque, among other dental issues. Here is a short list of some of the worst offenders.
- Citrus Fruit. Citrus fruit may be full of essential vitamins and minerals, but it is highly acidic, so it can cause extensive damage to the enamel. Oranges are less acidic than lemons and limes, but they are full of fructose, which can discolor teeth and wreck other damage.
- Potato Chips. Potato chips are high in starch, which gets trapped in the naturally perforated enamel. We recommend flossing when you decide to indulge in chips to get rid of the particles that will result in the accumulation of plaque, which in turn leads to discoloration.
- Ice Cubes. If you simply love sucking or chewing ice cubes (there are more of you than you think), you should stop at once. The low temperature, to which the enamel is exposed, causes dental issues. They are hard and can break or chip a tooth.
- Sugar. The fact that almost everything we consume has at least some sugar contributes to the popularity of cosmetic dentistry a great deal. Sugar gets stuck between and on the teeth, causing discoloration. Our oral cavities contain a lot of bacteria, both good and bad, which convert sugar to exopolysaccharide, a tar-like substance that covers the teeth. Then, other bacteria stick to that. Bacteria like S. mutans feed almost entirely on sugar. This is one of the strains most harmful to our gums and teeth.
