|
|
is a discipline
within
dentistry
in which the primary focus is the modification of
appearance of a patient's oral cavity and surrounding
structures, in conjunction with the prevention and
treatment of organic, structural, or functional oral
disease. Through cosmetic dentistry, the appearance of
the mouth can be altered to more closely match the
patient's subjective concept of what is visually
pleasing.
Today's common cosmetic dental treatment options include:
-
Whitening,
or
"tooth bleaching", is the most commonly prescribed
cosmetic dental procedure. While many whitening options are
now available, dentist-supervised treatments remain the
recommended procedures for lightening discolored teeth.
-
Enamel shaping
removes parts of the contouring
enamel
to improve the appearance of the tooth.
It may be used to correct a very
small chip. The removed enamel is irreplaceable, and may
sometimes expose
dentin.
It is also known as enameloplasty, odontoplasty,
recontouring, reshaping, slenderizing, and stripping.
-
Bonding
is an option for chipped or cracked teeth. It is a process
in which an enamel-like
dental composite
material is applied to a tooth's surface, sculpted into
shape, hardened, and then polished.
-
Veneers,
ultra-thin, custom-made laminates that are bonded directly
to the teeth, are an increasingly popular procedure. They
are an option for closing gaps or disguising discolored
teeth that did not respond well to whitening procedures.
-
Dental Implants
-
Dental implants
are artificial tooth root replacements that are used as a
part of prosthetic (artificial replacement) dentistry in
order to compensate for tooth loss. Often the result is not
only an enhanced smile, but also a more youthful appearance,
since missing teeth cause the face to collapse, making you
look older.
Cosmetic dentistry may also provide restorative benefits.
For example, dental fillings are a common procedure used to
treat decayed teeth. Previously, most dental fillings were
composed primarily of gold, amalgam, and other materials that
left visible dark spots on the teeth. Today, dental fillings may
fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry, because you can
select fillings made of porcelain or composite materials that
closely match the color of your teeth, thus maintaining the
natural appearance of your teeth and smile. Many people have
their older fillings replaced with newer, tooth-colored fillings
to enhance their oral appearance.
Cosmetic Dentistry is general dentistry with an added
dimension—besides all the functional requirements, the dentist
must pay close attention to the appearance of the dental work.
Tooth-colored materials in dentistry have progressed to the
point where they can now be used confidently in almost every
restorative situation, enabling us to provide durable AND
beautiful dental work to every patient. But it requires
considerable extra training to use these materials effectively.
Unfortunately,
cosmetic dentistry is not generally taught in dental schools
as part of the normal curriculum. A dentist can graduate from
most dental schools and pass the board exams without any
knowledge of esthetics or modern bonding techniques. To become
qualified in those areas, a dentist needs to pursue additional
training after graduation.
About the author:
Bob Schwartz is the founder
of Promotions Unlimited, an Internet based
search engine
optimization firm that not only improves client
websites, but, also runs a number of real estate, legal,
health, medical and San Diego websites. He is an author of various
articles on topics, from search engine optimization, real estate
and gold nugget hunting. Bob works to assist the expansion of knowledge.
Click here to return to
San Diego dentist
|
 |
