Smile With Confidence – Cosmetic Dental Procedures Explained

Do discolored or deformed teeth make you hide your smile or diminish your confidence and self-esteem? Are your teeth sensitive to cold or heat? Do you experience pain caused by cavities?

Do you suffer from severe headaches, pain in the neck or jaw, back or shoulder muscles? Do your facial muscles ache? Many people have TMJ (Trans-mandibular joint) dysfunction and don’t even know it. You know something is wrong, but you don’t know what. TMJ symptoms include jaw click when you talk or chew. If left untreated, TMJ can lead to painful dislocation of the jaw. If you are experiencing these symptoms or disfigurements, it’s time to see your dentist for an evaluation. Dental intervention could free you of pain and improve your quality of life.

You deserve a beautiful, pain-free, fabulous smile. Research and rapid advances in cosmetic dentistry over the past decade have significantly improved not only the appearance but the health of countless millions of people who, in the past, would “have had to live with” discolored, gaping, twisted, or missing teeth, or TMJ.

In the past, orthodontic procedures and teeth whitening were about all of the options patients had to turn to in correcting a disfigured or damaged mouth. Today cosmetic dentists create happy smiles by employing the latest advances in dental technology combined with an understanding of the symmetry required to restore a natural-looking smile.

When selecting a cosmetic dentist, ask to see before and after pictures of actual patients. You will be amazed at the dramatic improvement in appearance. Ask questions and make sure you have realistic expectations as to the outcome of any dental procedure.

Teeth Whitening And Professional Cleaning

Orthodontics

Orthodontics, also known as dentofacial orthopedics, is the dental specialty that focuses on correcting teeth and jaws that are improperly positioned. Teeth that do not fit together correctly, such as in the case of overbite or crooked teeth, do more than detract from your appearance. These types of malocclusions are harder to keep clean and have a higher risk of early decay, periodontal disease, and tooth loss.

Uneven teeth not only detract from one’s smile, but they also put extra stress on the chewing muscles that can lead to facial pain and headaches. The orthodontic treatment brings the teeth, lips, and jaw into proper form and function and can address control or modification of facial growth. Children, teenagers, and adults may benefit from orthodontic procedures.

Gone are the “painful mouth full of wire” days of the past. Braces are virtually invisible and much more comfortable than previous dental appliances. In most cases, your friends won’t even know you are wearing a corrective tray or retainer. Because patients vary in their physiological development, doctors work to provide the best type of treatment at the appropriate time.

For patients concerned with aesthetic appearance and missing time from a busy work schedule for frequent appointments, an orthodontist can now offer ceramic braces made from a translucent material that does not require an elastic ligature to hold wires in place. The ceramic material, though somewhat costlier, does not stain nor discolor and allows for fewer office visits.

Crowns And Caps

One remedy for dealing with imperfections in your smile, such as deformed, damaged, missing, discolored or unsightly teeth, is dental restoration using crowns and bridges. Frequently prescribed by dentists to address dental health problems as a lower-cost alternative to more expensive dental implants, crowns and bridges are long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing.

Prosthodontists, known as crown and bridge experts, are highly trained specialists focusing on the diagnosis, treatment, and restoration of the comfort, function, and appearance of missing or diseased, or damaged teeth. As well as enhancing your grin, bridges and crowns can repair and correct the alignment of your bite and treat a wide range of complex dental challenges.

Remember, the long-term durability and the appearance of restorative dental work is dependent on you taking proper care of your mouth and always practicing good oral hygiene. Crowns and bridgework require the same level of diligent care and attention as natural teeth.

Veneers

Long popular with beauty pageant entrants and actors, veneers, also known as laminates, are cosmetic dental appliances that dramatically alter the appearance of the mouth, allowing patients a chance to achieve a natural-looking “perfect” smile while foregoing invasive dental work or great expense. Custom fabricated to meet the patient’s aesthetic preferences; veneers are available in any shade of whiteness. Secured in place with strong bonding cement, veneers obliterate dental flaws.

The ideal candidate for veneer attachments is the person who has stained or imperfect but otherwise healthy teeth. Persons with cavities, gingivitis, or infection must work with their dentist to address those issues before veneers are applied.

If you have a habit of biting your fingernails, chewing ice, or tearing plastic bags open with your teeth, veneers may not be right for you. Veneers provide a reliable and durable surface and excellent service for a normal oral function. However strong, porcelain veneers can chip, break, or pop-off if subjected to extreme pressure and do not stand up to twisting or bending. Patients that participate in outdoor physical activities or sports are wise to wear mouth protection to avoid damage from a blow to the mouth, a collision, or a fall.

As technology has improved the product, dental veneers have become exceedingly popular. They are no longer thick, bulky, and uncomfortable. Today’s veneers look entirely natural and make a dramatic change in one’s appearance.

Do you have a distorted smile or an unsightly gap between your front teeth? Crooked teeth or teeth that are positioned too far apart can frequently be corrected with laminates rather than more expensive orthodontic procedures or dental implants. Patients are happy that with veneers, they see an immediate cosmetic improvement rather than waiting months or years to complete other dental improvement procedures.

Veneers are a very thin layer of resin or porcelain that are adhered to the outside or visible portion of the patient’s teeth. The process is fairly simple, pain-free, and does not take long. Veneers are used to conceal damage or discoloration from teeth stained by tetracycline or a root canal. Extremely versatile, veneers can be bonded to a single tooth or applied to all teeth visible when we smile. Today, veneers are available and affordable, offering a quick way to take your smile from dull to dazzling.

Implants

Did you run into a door jam, lose a bar fight or fall off your bike? Common everyday incidents often lead to losing “your two front teeth.” Dental implants are a permanent and aesthetically pleasing way to repair the damage of tooth loss. Whether it is a surfing, skiing, snowboard, or skateboard accident, an accident on a construction site, or a smack in the mouth by the ball at a little league game, hundreds of persons have their teeth knocked out daily. Implants now allow what was once a life-disfiguring injury to be addressed with a natural-looking replacement tooth.

Titanium application in dentistry has dramatically enhanced the development of dental implants. Titanium is ultra-strong and is well tolerated within the body by the majority of patients. Tiny titanium screws are used to anchor the implant in the bone. Dental implant surgery was first introduced during the 1960s. The quality, realistic appearance, comfort, and affordability of dental implants have improved dramatically since that time, making implants one of the most popular ways to repair or replace damaged or missing teeth.

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