Cosmetic dentistry is the branch of dental science that deals with appearance of a patient's teeth and oral cavity as opposed to the prevention and treatment of disease or major dental reconstruction. Cosmetic dentistry concerns itself with that which is physically and visually pleasing to the patient.
Materials used in cosmetic dentistry have changed over the years, depending on what's preferred and what's practical. Dental fillings and other reconstructions were once done with gold, amalgam, and metals overlaid with porcelain to simulate actual bone. Now, dentistry and cosmetic dentistry primarily use porcelain, unless major reconstruction warrants the use of stronger and denser materials. Resin adhesives are then used to bond these materials to the teeth.
Cosmetic dentistry involves four basic procedures:
Whitening: Discolored teeth are bleached under dentist supervision. This cosmetic dentistry procedure is preferred before veneering is considered.
Enamel Shaping: Awkwardly formed or damaged teeth are shaved down and reshaped to achieve a pleasing appearance. This entails removing irreplaceable contouring enamel and fixing deformities. This cosmetic dentistry procedure is known as enamelplasty and odontoplasty.
Bonding: Dental composite material, appearing as actual bone, is bonded to the actual teeth to fill in chips, gaps, cracks, and holes. The new construction is then sculpted, hardened, and polished to resemble actual pearly whites.
Veneering: ultra-thin, custom-made laminates are attached to the teeth. This is similar to bonding, but where bonding fixes deformities with attached composite material, veneering merely covers unappealing teeth with a thin overlay. This cosmetic dentistry procedure addresses gaps as well, if the gaps aren't too wide. Veneering is usually suggested if bleaching fails to whiten teeth.
Cosmetic dentistry doesn't solve the major dental problems that occur, but it does boost ego and self-esteem, and it's not as high-costing as actual dental work. Healthy looking teeth are attractive and inspire people to feel good about themselves!