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Everyone deserves to wear a picture-perfect smile without worrying about falling short of having beautiful teeth. That is what cosmetic dentistry offers – the dental care that can help you smile confidently. Through a variety of procedures and treatments, it aims to enhance your teeth and gums.
Dental cosmetic goals and needs vary from one person to person, so what you need may differ from others. Here’s what you need to know about cosmetic dentistry.
General Dentistry Vs. Cosmetic Dentistry
General dentistry focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing oral diseases. It helps you maintain high quality oral health.
Meanwhile, cosmetic dentistry focuses on enhancing the appearance of your teeth, gums, and overall smile. General and cosmetic dentistry can sometimes overlap as some situations require combining them.
For a general check-up, you can approach a general dentist. If you are specifically looking into improving the visual appearance of your teeth and smile, you want to go to a cosmetic dentist.
Common Cosmetic Dental Procedures
Here are eight popular cosmetic dental procedures – some of which may be beneficial to you:
1. Teeth Whitening Or Bleaching
Having bright teeth is the secret to a bright smile. Whitening or bleaching is the process of improving the whiteness of your teeth. Human teeth become yellowed over time due to stains from the foods and drinks you consume.
Your dentist will apply a whitening gel to help enhance the color of your tooth enamel. While many whitening products are available over-the-counter, the high quality products available through a cosmetic dentist are second to none.
2. Orthodontics
Orthodontics is a dental specialty focusing on diagnosing, correcting, and preventing teeth or facial irregularity. It corrects bite problems or malocclusions, such as jaw misalignment, crowded teeth, or overbite. Orthodontics can also give you straighter teeth and greater confidence.
Orthodontic treatment often comes in the form of braces that are unique and individualized to every patient. Braces also come in various forms, like metal braces or invisible aligners.
3. Composite Bonding
Composite bonding can help people who have chipped, gapped, or deeply stained teeth. It is a treatment that uses tooth-colored resin materials to improve your teeth’s shape, size, and color.
Unlike veneers, this procedure is reversible, because it does not require the removal of tooth enamel. That also means it doesn’t last as long as veneers.
4. Dental Veneers
Dentists use dental veneers to aid mild teeth injury, gaps, and discoloration. In this treatment, they will apply a thin covering made of artificial material to the front of your teeth. This procedure is irreversible because your dentist will require the removal of tooth enamel.
You can choose from different materials for your dental veneers. These are:
- Porcelain – stain-resistant, biocompatible, and last 8-15 years
- Composite – affordable, may stain easily, and last 5-7 years
- Lumineers – require minimal preparation and are reversible
5. Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap your dentist can cement over a damaged tooth. It will help protect and restore its structure.
Like veneers, crowns can be of different materials depending on the preference of the patient and the dentist’s advice. These include:
- Metal
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal
- All-resin
- All-ceramic
- All-porcelain
- Pressed ceramic
6. Dental Bridge
If missing teeth is your problem, dental bridges can help fill the gaps using the surrounding teeth as support. Like veneers and crowns, they can also be of different materials.
Dental bridges are cost-effective, permanent, and low–maintenance, so you can show off your smile for as long as you want.
7. Dental Implants
Dental implants can also help fill the gap created by a missing tooth. However, unlike a bridge, a dental implant is an artificial tooth root surgically placed on the jawbone.
Once the jawbone unites with the implant, the crown may be attached. The result is durable and can last for decades.
8. Gum Contouring
Do you feel like too much or too little of your gums are showing whenever you smile? Gum contouring is a surgical procedure aimed at reshaping the gumline.
Your dentist will either remove excessive gum tissue or restore it, depending on the goal of the surgery. The result is your teeth and gums having a balanced look.
Smile Confidently With Cosmetic Dentistry In Eugene, OR
Are you excited to smile confidently with cosmetic dentistry in Eugene, OR? We want to give you the dental care you deserve through our services at 360 Dental. Dr. Ari Binder and our team can help you decide on the best treatment procedures. Rest assured that we can help create or restore your picture-perfect smile.
For a cosmetic dentistry consultation, you may call us today at (541) 689-1645 or set up an appointment online. We look forward to helping bring confidence back to your smile!
