Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic Dentistry is a branch of dentistry that focuses on improving the appearance of a person's teeth, gums, and/or bite. It primarily deals with the aesthetics of teeth, including color, position, shape, size, alignment, and overall smile appearance.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Cosmetic dentistry has evolved from simply replacing and restoring damaged teeth to covering a wide scope of aesthetic procedures. Today's cosmetic dentistry includes tooth whitening, tooth bonding, veneers, tooth reshaping, crown lengthening, smile makeovers, and gum depigmentation.

Procedures[edit | edit source]

Tooth Whitening[edit | edit source]

Tooth whitening is the most common cosmetic dental procedure. While many whitening options are now available, dentist-supervised treatments remain the recommended procedures for lightening discolored teeth.

Tooth Bonding[edit | edit source]

In tooth bonding, a tooth-colored, putty-like resin, which is a durable plastic material, is applied to the tooth and hardened with an ultraviolet or laser light, bonding the material to the tooth. The dentist then trims, shapes, and polishes it.

Veneers[edit | edit source]

Veneers are thin shells crafted of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth. They are an option for correcting stained, chipped, decayed, or crooked teeth.

Tooth Reshaping[edit | edit source]

Tooth reshaping, or dental contouring, is a cosmetic dentistry technique that removes small amounts of tooth enamel in order to change the shape, length, or surface of one or more teeth.

Crown Lengthening[edit | edit source]

Crown lengthening is a surgical procedure that re-contours the gum tissue and often the underlying bone of a tooth. This procedure can be performed on a single tooth, many teeth, or the entire gum line.

Smile Makeovers[edit | edit source]

A smile makeover involves one or more cosmetic, dental, or facial rejuvenation procedures to improve the aesthetics of your smile.

Gum Depigmentation[edit | edit source]

Gum depigmentation is a procedure used in cosmetic dentistry to remove black spots or patches on the gums caused by excessive melanin.

See Also[edit | edit source]

Cosmetic Dentistry Resources
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