Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures
There are many types of cosmetic dentistry procedures that you can have done at your dentist’s office. Since these procedures are not covered under health insurance plans, you have to pay for them yourself. The dentist doesn’t usually recommend these procedures unless it is necessary for medical reasons. In these cases, the health insurance usually covers most of the cost involved.
If your teeth have lost their whiteness and appear to be stained, you can have them bleached to a perfect whiteness. You nay not want to smile and let others see how your teeth have changed color. Teeth can be whitened using specially formulated bleach. The dentist will take an impression of your teeth to form a tray that holds this solution. You wear it each night when you go to bed to whiten your teeth by at least 5 or 6 shades. The dentist can also do laser treatment on your teeth to whiten them, but this requires several visits to the dentist’s office of at least an hour or more each time. Neither of these treatments will work on discolored fillings.
The cosmetic dentist can file away the discolored enamel in a procedure called micro-abrasion using an abrasive, acid based paste. If the discoloration is severe all of the enamel may need to be removed and replaced by a colored filling. This procedure is also called bonding. If you teeth are chipped or broken, a cosmetic dentist can repair the damage with bonding as well. The resin fillings match the color of your teeth and will fill in any missing pieces of teeth or even spaces between the teeth. This process is not long lasting and you may need to have it repeated every five years.
If you do not want to have resin, you can choose to have veneers. A veneer is only about a half a millimeter thick and it is glued to the front of your teeth. A portion of the enamel of the affected teeth needs to be ground away so that the veneer will fit exactly as your teeth do. Although the porcelain veneers last longer than resin fillings, they still need to be replaced every ten years.
Some people need to have their teeth capped with crowns. Crowns are caps that bonded to the tooth permanently. They can be covered with a thin layer of enamel the same color as your tooth to either cover up the repair work or to be a perfect match for your teeth. A missing tooth can be replaced by a dental implant, rather than use a partial denture. In this procedure, a small titanium screw is fitted into the jaw and the tooth is fitted. The screw eventually fuses with the jawbone and is an anchor for the tooth. An expert dentist performs this work and you will have to be referred by your regular dentist.
Braces also fall within the realm of cosmetic dentistry. They are used to straighten teeth or to bring teeth together where there is a wide gap between them. This procedure can take anywhere from 18 months to two years. It is very expensive and multiple visits to an orthodontist are required. The procedure takes a long time to move the teeth into the desired position and is usually used in children when their second set of teeth do not grow together correctly.
Before you decide to have any cosmetic dental procedure done, you should make sure that the dentist has experience in the procedure and be sure to find out how much the procedure will cost.
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