You may not realize it but your smile plays a significant role in your life, relationship, and career. A healthy smile can communicate happiness, confidence, excitement, health, and vitality.
However, if you want to improve your smile further, you can turn to cosmetic or aesthetic dentistry.
Types of Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry is the art of transforming the appearance of your smile. Taking care of your mouth, teeth, and gums are crucial for maintaining optimal dental health, but fixing dental flaws is also equally important. Additionally, when you feel great about your smile, you feel great about yourself, too. However, not all cosmetic dentistry procedures work for everyone. A cosmetic dentist can help you choose the right option that will work best for enhancing your smile.
- Teeth Whitening – Teeth whitening (also called teeth bleaching) is a dental cosmetic procedure that whitens and brightens teeth from staining or discolouration. Note that not everyone is a candidate for teeth whitening. Make sure to check with your dentist.
- Veneers – Veneers are custom-made thin shells of either porcelain or composite materials cemented to the front surface of the tooth. They help hide tooth imperfections, such as stains, chips, crookedness, or gaps between the teeth.
- Crowns – Also called a cap, dental crowns are custom-made to fit and replace stained, decayed, or damaged teeth to restore their natural size, shape, and appearance. It also helps hold a cracked tooth together and keep a weak tooth from breaking.
- Implants – Dental implants are made out of titanium designed to replace missing teeth. It is surgically inserted into the jawbone. Its screw acts as the root of the tooth and anchors the artificial tooth.
How Cosmetic Dentistry Enhance Your Smile
Cosmetic dentistry is on the rise because many people want to improve their smiles.
Here are several ways cosmetic dentistry solve these common smile problems and ultimately, improve the quality of your life:
- Brighter, Whiter Teeth
Stained teeth can be embarrassing that is why many people want healthy, pearly white teeth. Teeth whitening is the most effective solution to stained teeth. Having a radiant, white smile can make you look great and confident.
Seeking professional teeth whitening service is the key to picture-perfect teeth—not the do-it-yourself route. DIY teeth whitening products do not yield satisfying results. They contain harsh chemicals that can erode your teeth enamel, which can result in sensitivity issues. On the other hand, a restoration dentist helps enhance your smile without using whitening products that can harm your teeth.
- Total Smile Makeover
Over the years, porcelain veneers have been widely used to give your smile a makeover. They are wafer-thin, custom-made tooth-coloured shells used to cover the front surface of the teeth for a total smile makeover. The cosmetic dentist will skillfully mould and bond the thin porcelain shells on your teeth’s surface to hide deep stains, misaligned teeth, cracks, chips, and other problems. Veneers can only be placed over healthy teeth. The dentist will then customized the porcelain shells to a specific opacity and colour to transform and enhance your smile. - Fix Gaps
A gap in your smile can be awkward, especially if it is apparent to others. Porcelain bridges are semi-permanent solutions to teeth gaps, allowing the dentist to remove and replace the dental appliance anytime when needed. Its primary functions include filling in the gaps, restoring your smile, and helping with proper bite alignment.
Dental bridges are a common alternative to cosmetic dental implants that offer a long-term cosmetic solution for embarrassing gaps, depending on the location of the gap and the health of the jaw and the surrounding teeth. The bridge can hold your teeth in place if ever you want to switch to dental implants.
- Replace Severely Damaged or Decayed Teeth
It is important to immediately resolve the issues that caused you severely decayed or damaged teeth. Addressing its causes is crucial for preventing infection and diseases and improving your smile’s aesthetic appearance. For instance, inserting titanium dental implants into your gums to replace damaged teeth and covering them with a customized crown allows them to blend seamlessly with your smile.
When the implant device successfully fuses with the jawbone, it becomes as strong as your natural teeth, allowing you to maintain it easily for years.
Taking Care of Your Smile After Cosmetic Dentistry Treatment
Smiling with confidence helps you establish a fantastic first impression on your personal and professional life. A beautiful, healthy smile can be contagious to the people surrounding you.
Here are some tips to take care of your smile:
- Avoid eating hard foods and drink coloured beverages, including coffee, black tea, and red wine in moderation.
- Use a straw to sip coloured drinks to prevent the liquid from coming into contact with your teeth.
- Rinse your mouth with water after each meal.
- Avoid smoking tobacco products, especially if you have dental veneers. Tobacco can damage the bonding materials.
- Practicing good oral hygiene helps prolong the lifespan of your new smile. Brushing and flossing your teeth properly and regularly are essential in preventing tooth decay.
- Not all types of toothpaste are created equal. If you have dental veneers or dental composites, make sure to use a toothpaste that is specifically made for dental restorations.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush or electric brush to prevent damaging the veneers.
- Taking care of your gums is also crucial even if they are not covered by veneers. Veneers sit right below your gums. Gum diseases, such as gingivitis and periodontal disease, cause the gums to pull away from the veneer shells.
- Avoid rinsing with alcohol-based mouthwashes as it can cause the composite tooth bonding agent that holds the material in place to weaken.
- Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings at least every six months.
You do not need to hide your smile just because of its imperfections and flaws. Visit our family and cosmetic dentistry office to find out about the possible options that would help enhance or restore your smile. Dr. Urszula Barrios and her dental staff offer a wide range of cosmetic dentistry services. Do not hesitate to ask us about how we can help improve your teeth’s aesthetic and health.
If you would like to learn more about how cosmetic dentistry can help you, call Guelph dentist, Dr. Urszula Barrios today to schedule your consultation!