Aesthetic Dentistry

Aesthetic or Cosmetic Dentistry is generally used to refer to any dental work that improves the appearance (though not necessarily the functionality) of teeth, gums and/or bite. It primarily focuses on improvement in dental aesthetics in color, position, shape, size, alignment and overall smile appearance.

Aesthetic Dentistry may involve:

1. the addition of a dental material to teeth or gums – examples: bonding, porcelain veneers (laminates), crowns (caps), gum grafts
2. the removal of tooth structure or gums – examples: enameloplasty, gingivectomy
3.  neither adding nor removing dental materials, tooth structure, or gums – examples: teeth whitening (bleaching)
4.  straightening of teeth accompanied by improvement in appearance of face – orthodontics
5.  Veneers
6. Scaling

Whitening

Whitening, or "tooth bleaching", is the most common cosmetic dental procedure. The doctor will first evaluate your teeth and smile to determine whether whitening is right for you. In some cases, a different cosmetic procedure may better meet your expectations, but whitening is a safe, fast and easy process that is effective for almost everyone. While many whitening options are now available, including over the counter products, dentist-supervised treatments remain the recommended procedures for lightening discolored teeth.

Reshaping

Tooth reshaping removes parts of the enamel to improve the appearance of the tooth. It may be used to correct a small chip, or to alter the length, shape or position of teeth, as well as when there is tooth size discrepancy; it can be used to correct crooked or excessively long teeth. The removed enamel is irreplaceable, and may sometimes expose dentin. It is also known as enameloplasty, odontoplasty, contouring, recontouring, slenderizing, stripping. This procedure offers fast results and can even be a substitute for braces under certain circumstances.

Bonding

Bonding is a process in which an enamel-like dental composite material is applied to a tooth's surface, sculpted into shape, hardened and then polished.

Bridging

Dental bridges are used to replace one or more missing teeth. Teeth on both sides of the space left by the missing teeth are prepared. A bridge is made up of abutments, the teeth that are prepped, and the missing, false teeth, which are called pontics. This procedure is used to replace one or more missing teeth and is cemented in. Bridges can consist of more than three teeth in total and the viability of any bridge is usually determined by applying Ante's Law and assessing where in the mouth the teeth are. Bridges are fixed, and they cannot be removed. Fixed bridges cannot be taken out in the same way that partial dentures can. In areas of the mouth that are under less stress, such as the front teeth, a cantilever bridge may be used. Cantilever bridges or Maryland Bridges are used to replace anterior or front missing teeth, are minimally invasive but do have a reputation for failure. Bridges require commitment to serious oral hygiene. The average life of bridges is similar to that of crowns which is nearly ten years.

Veneers

Veneers are ultra-thin, custom-made porcelain laminates that are bonded directly to the teeth. They are an option for closing gaps, enhance the shape, or change the color of teeth that do not
respond well to whitening procedures. In the majority of the cases, some level of tooth reduction is necessary for optimal results. To achieve a pleasing smile, dentists fabricate diagnostic mock-ups, which act as a tooth preparation guide before the fabrication of veneers, it allows the dentist to visualize the changes needed to be done on the patient's teeth with respect to size, shape and proportion, its relation with gingival-contour, lip contour and smile line. Mock-ups can be a great aid in fabricating pre-evaluation temporaries, which can give a preliminary evaluation to the esthetics, phonetics and teeth occlusion, in addition, it gives an opportunity to the clinicians to check if they need to do any corrections.

Implants

Dental implants are prosthetic replacements for missing teeth. According to ICOI (International Congress of Oral Implantologists) there are commonly three parts to what it is described as an implant: the implant device which is predominantly made of titanium (which is inserted into the bone), the abutment, and a dental crown or a denture which are connected to the implant through the abutment.

Gum lifts

A gum lift is a cosmetic dental procedure that raises and sculpts the gum line. The procedure involves reshaping the tissue and/or underlying bones to create the appearance of longer or more symmetrical teeth.

Straightening

Invisalign treatment is being used as an alternative to traditional metal braces. Invisalign helps in treating spacing, crowding, and overlapping teeth to create the smile patients desire. This system has treated hundreds of thousands of patients and has been around for over a decade. Clear aligners are comfortable, invisible, and easy to clean.

Bite reclamation

Bite reclamation is for patients who have had years of excessive wear to their teeth due to grinding or acid reflux can alter their vertical dimension. This gives them a closed or shorter look to their face and smile. By opening up their bite, a qualified professional can reclaim their vertical dimension.
There are so many options available to improve the appearance of your smile, and we will find the right aesthetic procedure for you based on your desired result.

Credit: Colgate.com