Factors like the shape of your teeth, their alignment, your bite, health of your gums, etc. play a role in what your smile looks like.
Simply changing the color of your teeth with whitening is relatively inexpensive and may make them look nice. You can achieve a significant smile improvement, if you are otherwise happy with how your teeth are aligned and shaped.
Enameloplasty, or tooth reshaping is a great option if you otherwise are happy with the color of your teeth.
Porcelain veneers are a beautiful way to correct stained, worn, chipped, or crooked teeth. Veneers are made of glass-like tooth color ceramic. They are placed on front surfaces of teeth after removing a thin layer of enamel. Veneers don’t change color and are wonderful if you want to significantly change the shape and color of your teeth.
Composite bonding is a less costly alternative to porcelain veneers. A dentist uses a special tooth-color material to shape front teeth without removing the underlying enamel. Though the immediate results are impressive, the longevity of composite material is limited. Composite bonding may need more touch-ups and frequent polishing.
Regardless of a cosmetic treatment, it’s important to start with a meticulous smile design. In our office we use digital photography and molds of your teeth to see and test what can be done to improve your smile. You get to see how cosmetic dentistry can enhance your teeth before the treatment starts. You can visualize what options might work best; such as whitening, porcelain veneers, composite bonding, orthodontics (braces), bite adjustment etc. It’s like designing a house. You want to see what it is going to look like before you start the construction.
Comprehensive cosmetic dentistry involves a meticulous planning and smile design before teeth are restored. It is important to understand that balanced bite and proper function are important for longevity of your new smile.
Why? It is essential, since all factors that damaged the teeth, may continue damaging new porcelain caps, veneers, or bonding. Remember that almost all tooth color materials used in dentistry are brittle by nature. They will last longer if you protect them from bacteria, acids, and tooth grinding.
Because many new materials used in cosmetic dentistry are susceptible to breaking, functional assessment is the key for your dental work to last a long time.
Great form follows great function!