What Your Dentist Can Do For Your Smile

You should consider a full dental examination if you are uncomfortable with the appearance of your smile because your teeth are crooked, broken or discolored. By always covering your mouth or lips while you talk or smile may make people think you are hiding something or that you lack confidence. Your teeth should not hold you back from looking or feeling your best.

The right cosmetic changes to your teeth can make a huge difference in the way you look and, ultimately, in the way you feel about yourself.

Some of the common cosmetic dental procedures include:

Scaling and polishing: This is done to remove plaque and surface stains, and give the teeth a brightening polish.

Bleaching: This is done to brighten and whiten teeth. It can also be done using a strong solution of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide that is activated by a high-intensity light.

For best results, you may require several treatments and at-home treatments to maintain results.

Alternatively, there is another bleaching technique using laser.

The teeth are prepared with a special acid which is combined with concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution and a laser beam is used to painlessly activate the bleach.

Laser bleaching is the quickest method of brightening and whitening teeth.

Depending on certain habits (like smoking, tea or coffee drinking), the whitening effects can last for as long as 2 years.

CAUTION: Women who are pregnant or breast feeding should not have their teeth bleached.

Crowning: This is the traditional way of repairing a broken or badly shaped tooth using a 'crown' or 'cap' to cover the tooth.

A dental crown can be used to restore weak, broken, badly discolored or misshaped tooth.

Crowns can be made from different materials including steel, metal, porcelain or glass.

Bonding: This is an alternative to crowning. This involves sticking a layer of plastic, called a composite, to the teeth to make them more attractive.

The dentist contours, sculpts and polishes the material to create a desired shape and length. It is a wonderful technique for repairing chipped and fractured teeth as it can be used to change the shape and structure of the teeth.

In extreme cases, bonding can be used to completely cover the surface of each tooth to mask severe discoloration, bad positioning, or poor shape.

Averagely, the typical bond lasts 3 or 5 years but requires routine maintenance to remove stains.

Veneers: This is the bonding of a very thin layer of porcelain on the surface of the teeth. It is an effective way of treating discolored teeth, closing gaps or repairing chips and cracks.

The more-luxurious laminate veneers which are ultra-thin sculpted pieces of tooth-shaped porcelain offer the best options for reshaping the teeth.

They make the teeth look so naturally healthy and can last as much as 10 to 15 years.

Orthodontics: This is the use of fixed braces to correct the alignment of the teeth. This treatment will straighten crowded or crooked teeth and move them back in line.

A good cosmetic dentist can redesign anyone's teeth and provide a list of options to suit any budget.

Don't allow your teeth deprive you of a beautiful smile, consult a dentist today!