Do you ever find yourself staring in the mirror, wondering just how different your life could be if only you didn’t suffer from the insecurity caused by noticeable smile imperfections. Stains and minor spacing problems might not pose functional threats to your smile, but they can certainly take a toll on your confidence, much less your willingness to pause for selfies with your kids or your silliest friends. Fortunately, if you are struggling with dental imperfections, you don’t have to settle. Cosmetic dentistry can often create fast and efficient smile enhancements. In fact, there are actually a number of ways a dentist might be able to help improve the look of your smile!
What Are the Problems Causing You Concern?
Teeth staining is the most common cosmetic complaint, and that is due to the porous nature of tooth enamel. Though the enamel is strong and stain resistant to a degree, over time beverages and foods as well as tobacco products and sometimes genetic factors, can lead to noticeable discoloration. Most tooth stains can be effectively addressed using professional teeth whitening treatment. In the case of intrinsic or permanent staining, however, the dentist might recommend cosmetic bonding or porcelain veneers instead.
If the cause of the discoloration is a dental cavity, restorative treatment like a tooth-colored filling could even be the prescribed form of treatment.
This is just one example of how cosmetic dentistry or restorative dentistry could help to improve the look of a smile.
If the teeth have been worn by excessive teeth grinding porcelain dental crowns might be recommended, since they can help to protect damaged teeth from further exposure to bacteria. They also offer the same natural-looking enhancements of porcelain veneers. That said, the dentist might also recommend a sleep appliance to help prevent future teeth grinding, which can be extremely damaging to the teeth, but that can also cause jaw pain and even alignment problems.