Common Cosmetic Dental Procedures

Cosmetic dentistry is commonly used to describe any type of dental treatment or procedure that corrects and enhances the appearance of the teeth, gums or bite. It generally focuses on the improvement of the teeth's colour, position, size, shape, alignment and the appearance of your smile in its totality. Common types of cosmetic dentistry includes, attachments of dental materials to teeth or gums (bonding, veneers, gum grafts and crowns), elimination of gums or tooth structure (enameloplasty or gingivectomy), simple cosmetic procedures that does not require attachments or elimination of any part of the teeth or gums (teeth whitening, laser whitening and gum depigmentation) and teeth straightening with smile improvement (orthodontics).

TEETH WHITENING

Teeth whitening or also known as "tooth bleaching" is the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedure, it's also the simplest and the cheapest way to enhance your smile. Teeth whitening options include at-home and in-office whitening. In-office teeth whitening cost about $500, while over-the-counter whitening products that you can purchase at retail stores for home use like toothpaste, rinses and white strips cost about $3-$50. Although, in-office teeth whitening provides an instant, longer-lasting effect than the at-home types because a higher concentrated whitening agent is being used by the dentist. This treatment is guaranteed to give you a whiter, radiant smile, though it's highly recommended to still maintain regular oral hygiene and to avoid stain-causing food and drinks like coffee, tea, wine, sodas and tobacco after the treatment to ensure a much longer whitening effect.

DENTAL VENEERS

Dental veneers are wafer-thin ceramic shells that are custom-made for each patient and their specific tooth. It's uniquely designed to match your teeth's natural colour that is placed over and bonded to the front of the tooth. Veneers had been used to cure most dental issues like jagged, chipped, serrated, crooked, misshapen and gapped teeth. It's often called "Hollywood teeth" because it is commonly used by celebrities as an immediate solution to fix their dental imperfections and it gives them that winning Hollywood smile that they so badly needed for their jobs.

DENTAL IMPLANTS

Dental implants are small, titanium screws that are carefully inserted into the missing tooth's bone socket. The success of the procedure depends on the healing of the jawbone, allowing it to grow around the implanted metal post, to provide a strong foundation for the crown or replacement tooth. Implants are advised to patients with big holes and gaps in their teeth, it's far better than dentures, especially for those who still have most of their natural teeth. They are permanent teeth replacements that feel and functions like your natural teeth less the hassle because they don't require taking your teeth out every night to clean them as you do with your dentures.

INLAYS & ONLAYS

Inlays and Onlays is a procedure identical to fillings because the concept and purpose are almost the same and are often used to fix mild to moderate tooth decays when the tooth structure won't be enough to support a normal filling. Inlays are directly placed on the tooth if the tooth cusps show no signs of damage, but if there is significant or too much damage to the cusp, an inlay is used to cover the tooth's entire surface.

COMPOSITE BONDING

Composite bonding is also known as plain bonding, it resembles tooth enamel colour and is commonly used to fix discoloured, decayed, damaged teeth by drilling holes to remove decay on tooth after which the holes are then filled with a special type of bonding material, the tooth is altered and modified by the use of a high-intensity curing light. It's a great inexpensive cosmetic dentistry procedure for patients with crooked, misshapen and jagged teeth.

Modern dental advancements now make it possible for patients to fix various teeth problems like, yellow, crooked, misshapen or missing teeth, there are different cosmetic dentistry treatments that can help restore not just your smile but your confidence as well. Don't let financial worries bring you down, whether you want to whiten your teeth, replace a missing tooth or to just simply repair a cracked tooth as there are a lot of cosmetic dentistry procedures to choose from. Visit your dentist North Sydney today and know which treatment will be best suited for you and your budget.