What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry encompasses treatments and procedures that improve the look of your smile. When you look at your reflection in the mirror, if you see something you would like to improve or change in your mouth or smile, that falls under cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry treatments focus on improving tooth color, shape, alignment, and teeth spacing.

While the goal of cosmetic dental treatment is to improve visual aesthetics, certain cosmetic dentistry procedures offer restorative and functional purposes as well. This is the case if treatment strengthens the tooth or solves other problems at the same time. For instance, having braces put on to straighten a smile or close a gap may not be medically necessary for all patients, but it can improve someone’s confidence and love for their smile.

What Are Four Of The Most Popular Cosmetic Dental Treatments?

1. Invisalign
2. Teeth Whitening
3. Veneers
4. Dental Implants

1. Invisalign

If you're looking to show off a smile free of mild to moderate tooth crookedness or misalignment, Invisalign clear aligners might be the right choice for you. They're invisible, removable trays that are tailor-made to your teeth and come with a custom treatment plan. With Invisalign, you can correct crowded teeth, gapped teeth, overbite, and underbite without the discomfort of metal brackets. And because these invisible aligners are removable, you don't need to experience any inconvenience whatsoever when it comes to daily eating and drinking, or regular hygiene habits such as flossing and brushing. To find out how long the Invisalign process would take for your teeth, speak to your dentist and ask if Invisalign can help you on your smile journey.

2. Teeth Whitening

As we age, our appearance changes. However, many people do not realize that our teeth can also change with age. There is good reason to maintain our twice-a-day flossing and brushing rituals in order to keep our teeth healthy. However, even healthy teeth may become yellow due to aging. Surface staining, or extrinsic tooth discoloration, is also especially common because of regular habits like drinking coffee, tea, brown sodas, and red wine. These drinks can leave pigmented residue on your tooth enamel.

For this reason, teeth whitening is a consideration that can also make you look and feel more youthful. You might find that you are more confident in your smile when you can boast whiter teeth. Imagine making a better first impression or putting a better smile forward at your next big event. When you observe your reflection, you may find that you look more youthful with a brighter smile. Consider the in-office professional teeth whitening for a safer, more effective white that you can’t achieve with one-size-fits-all, over-the-counter products.

3. Veneers

Dental veneers can serve both cosmetic and restorative purposes. Veneers can address a wide range of dental imperfections and camouflage cosmetic flaws in your smile. High-quality porcelain or tooth-colored composite are used to create coverings that fit over the surface of teeth and address chips, cracks, or gaps in teeth. Misshapen teeth or teeth that are too small can be corrected as well. Veneers are also a highly-effective cosmetic dental treatment because they can whiten the appearance of teeth that don’t respond to traditional whitening treatments. In fact, porcelain veneers are more stain-resistant than natural teeth. With good care, dental veneers can last anywhere from 10 to 15 years.

4. Dental Implants

Dental implants are an important investment. A replacement tooth is not only a cosmetic concern but can also help preserve the visual and structural integrity of your other teeth and the rest of your face as well. When a tooth is missing, the remaining healthy teeth can slowly shift toward the empty gap and become misaligned and crooked. Furthermore, the bone under the tooth gap can also weaken due to lack of stimulation. Over time, this can result in a decrease in bone density and volume, which can cause your nose and chin to become closer, and the corners of your lips to sag. These changes to your face can change the balance or symmetry of your face, and even give you an older appearance.

If you live in Bonita Springs, Florida, and the surrounding areas and wonder if certain cosmetic dentistry treatments and procedures are right for your dental needs and aesthetic goals, consider the unparalleled expertise of TD Dental Group. TD Dental Group is proud to offer Invisalign and other services, such as dental implants, bridges and crowns, cosmetic dentistry, and more. Call 239-317-8333 for an appointment today.