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Cosmetic Dentistry 101: 5 Types of Procedures and Their Benefits
Posted by Dr. Julie Boudreault On 10-12-2024
Cosmetic procedures are often disregarded as being purely aesthetic. Consequently, many dental patients have no idea how cosmetic dentistry can benefit them. In this blog, we will shed light on the many benefits of cosmetic dentistry, which go beyond simply improving your smile’s appearance.
There are a wide variety of cosmetic dental services available to transform your smile, improve the function of your mouth, and boost your confidence. We will take a closer look at five of them: Invisalign, dental implants and bridges, composite bonding, crowns, and porcelain veneers.
1. Invisalign braces
At Milltown Dental, we want you to love your smile. Life is too short to hide your smile when you should be eagerly showing it off at every opportunity. Unfortunately, crooked, crowded, and asymmetrical teeth can be unsightly and truly diminish your confidence. This is where cosmetic dental services come in.
Orthodontics has a cosmetic dentistry component. After all, it corrects imperfections and creates a more attractive, perfect smile. Although there are several orthodontic methods for improving your smile, Invisalign braces are particularly popular among our patients.
This is because Invisalign uses clear, removable trays that are more discreet and less disruptive than traditional metal braces. You can eat and drink normally; just remember to remove your Invisalign aligners before meals!
However, Invisalign braces also have significant functional benefits. Crowded and crooked teeth are not just aesthetic issues. It is much harder to keep misaligned teeth clean than straight teeth, since there are more hard-to-reach places where bacteria can hide, undisturbed by brushing and flossing. As a result, you’re more likely to develop cavities.
Proper oral hygiene is crucial for preventing tooth decay and gum disease, and straightening your teeth makes it easier to maintain your oral health.
2. Dental implants and bridges
Losing a tooth is often a traumatic event. Your permanent teeth are supposed to be just that: permanent. If one falls out, it results from physical trauma to the mouth, infection, or disease. And as if that experience isn’t bad enough, you’re left with a big gap in your smile. This can, understandably, lead to a loss in something else—your confidence.
Although tooth loss is permanent, the gap in your smile doesn’t have to be. Modern dentistry has several solutions for tooth replacement, which restore the look and function of your smile.
Tooth loss has significant consequences for your mouth's function and long-term health. You do not want to leave a gap in your smile for long. The surrounding teeth will begin to shift into that empty space, resulting in tooth misalignment and bite issues.
You have two options: a dental implant or a dental bridge. A dental implant is inserted directly into the jawbone, which helps to prevent bone loss and deterioration. Your jawbone is not supposed to have an empty space in it, so filling that gap preserves the integrity of the bone and stimulates bone growth.
Dental bridges, on the other hand, are attached to the teeth on either side of the gap. It’s a simple procedure that doesn’t require surgery, although it does not protect the jawbone.
Both dental implants and bridges have cosmetic and functional benefits, so it’s a matter of which one is right for you. Talk to your dentist at Milltown Dental today!
3. Composite bonding
Dental bonding is a fast, affordable, and highly effective way to improve the appearance of your smile. This procedure is completed during a single, 30 to 60-minute visit to your Milton dentist. It’s non-invasive and doesn’t require local anesthesia, making it a good option for those wanting to avoid more intensive treatments.
Bonding can be used to fix a variety of dental problems. For instance, it corrects discolouration, repairs chips or cracks, and fills gaps or spaces between the teeth. Consequently, dental bonding can produce a straighter, more symmetrical, and whiter smile.
As with the other cosmetic procedures listed in this blog, however, it has functional benefits, too. The composite resin used in dental bonding reinforces damaged teeth, preventing chips or cracks from worsening. It can also fill damage from small-to-mild tooth decay. Lastly, cosmetic dentists can apply composite resin over tooth roots that have become exposed due to gum disease.
4. Crowns/caps
Dental crowns (also called caps) are another cosmetic and restorative treatment. These are custom-made from porcelain, ceramic, or composite and designed to fit over the problematic tooth.
They are coloured-matched, so they blend in perfectly with the surrounding teeth. Porcelain crowns are known for being especially natural-looking, as well as very durable and stain-resistant.
As a cosmetic procedure, a dental crown can cover a poorly shaped, broken, or chipped tooth to create a more perfect-looking tooth. Crowns can also be used to cover spaces in between teeth if there’s a large gap in your smile.
Of course, these are also functional benefits! Broken, chipped, and cracked teeth need to be protected, so the damage does not worsen. Otherwise, the tooth may have to be removed. With a durable porcelain crown, you can avoid surgery while reducing your risk of bacterial infection in the damaged tooth.
5. Porcelain veneers
Porcelain veneers are a popular choice for resolving multiple oral health issues and dramatically improving the overall appearance of your smile. This cosmetic treatment consists of bonding thin shells of porcelain over the front surface of the teeth. They have a natural appearance, even reflecting light in the same way as the rest of your teeth.
Furthermore, they do not stain over time, so your smile will stay bright, white, and perfectly straight for years. If you take care of your veneers, they should last between 10 and 12 years (although it varies between patients).
You can opt for a set of porcelain veneers if you have discoloured, crooked, chipped, gapped, or otherwise damaged teeth. Since veneers can cover multiple teeth (an average of 6-8 is common), they are a fantastic way to address multiple issues, including, for example, several damaged teeth or extensive misalignment.
Elevate Your Smile with Cosmetic Dental Services From Milltown Dental
Milltown Dental provides a range of professional cosmetic dental services in Milton, Ontario. Our dentists bring extensive expertise, knowledge, and skills to every cosmetic procedure, so you can leave our clinic with a smile you love.
If you hope to improve your smile’s appearance, Milltown Dental is here to help. We can advise you on any of our top-quality cosmetic procedures to help you make the right decision for your smile and goals.
To learn more about our cosmetic dental services, call Milltown Dental at (833) 318-3281 or contact us here.
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