Dentistry is the science of working with and repairing teeth so that patients can enjoy life without having to deal with oral pains. While most of us may just think of routine cleanings and fillings when we think of dentistry, there is another side to the science that we may not consider. Cosmetic dentistry is an art as much as it is a science, and cosmetic dentists can perform many services for their patients. Here are a few of those services.
Bonding, Crowning, and Veneers
These three services all involve repairing the tooth itself. Chipping, cracking, and breaking are some of the reasons that these three services need to be done. Bonding is repairing gaps and chips in teeth through the placement of materials where they are needed. These bonding materials are the same ones that are used to fill holes from drilling cavities.
Crowning is essentially placing a porcelain cap over an exposed tooth to either protect it or replace the top of the existing tooth. This is done to help cover large fillings, hold a bridge in place, or just to help even out a bite due to an irregularly sized tooth.
Veneers are plastic or porcelain shells that are placed around existing teeth in order to repair a tooth that may have a chip or is shaped in a way that makes a smile or bite awkward. These veneers are placed with care and can really help to improve the patient’s smile and bite.
Dental Shaping and Contouring
As well as repairing teeth, a dentist can also reshape healthy teeth with a variety of different tools. Contouring involves using tools to remove some of the enamel from the tooth. This is done if a patient’s bite is off or if extra enamel affects their alignment. Shaping can also be done in order to fix irregular teeth.
Tooth Whitening
Whitening is also a service that these artists can help you with. Many times we run to the drug store to buy a tooth whitening kit. These kits, however, can be left on too long or can hurt our teeth. Dentists use a bleaching solution to whiten teeth and supervise the entire process, ensuring that there are no unwanted side effects and that our smiles are just the right shade of white.
Alignment Services
Dentists can also provide several services to help us align our teeth and improve our smiles. Braces is a very popular way to do this, especially for young teens. Now there are also new ways to align teeth, such as invisible braces and aligners that can be taken off for meals and brushing. This service can take much longer to do than the other services.
Cosmetics in dentistry is something that we have all seen before, but many of us may not have known much about what these dentists do. Without knowing it, your family dentist may also be a cosmetic dentist. Whenever you have a tooth that needs to be capped, a smile that needs to be fixed, or a gap that needs to be filled, a dentist working to improve the appearance of your smile is the one you would see.
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