Popular Cosmetic Dental Treatments (And What They Can Be Used To Treat)

The main goal of cosmetic dentistry is not just to restore and heal the patient’s, but also to give the teeth and the smile a perfect, shiny, and impeccable look. In many cases, tooth damage has both health and aesthetic implications, thus making some cosmetic dentistry procedures restorative as well.

Here are some of the most popular cosmetic dentistry treatments which can actually help with adverse oral conditions.

Teeth Whitening

This is a very fast and inexpensive procedure which doesn’t require much equipment, so it can be carried out in the patient’s home and lasts only several minutes. Note that not all whitening methods are good for your oral health. Some chemicals used in the process can be very aggressive and damage the tooth enamel. However, appropriate whitening techniques will help you remove or prevent dental caries.

Composite Tooth Bonding

These are a solution for chipped teeth. When a tooth is chipped the internal soft tissues forming the pulp may be exposed to the air, which is very harmful and speeds up tissue deterioration that leads to tooth loss. Having composite bonding placed on the damaged area will fix and prevent further issues.

Clear Aligners

Clear aligners are an orthodontic product which support the proper alignment of a patient’s teeth. In this sense “clear” means transparent and harder to spot, in contrast to traditional braces with visible metallic parts. Modern clear aligners are custom 3D printed and are next to invisible, so most people won’t be able to notice you’re wearing them. The subtlety of the treatment has made it very popular among teenagers and young adults.

Porcelain Veneers and Crowns

These treatments are attached to the surface of  damaged teeth. Whether it’s a veneer or a crown depends on the level of damage, or how bad the condition is. A crown is added straight to the pulp or dentin, while a veneer is basically just an additional coating which corrects health or aesthetic issues. Crowns are more serious, complex and made of thicker porcelain.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are a set of multiple bound crowns which are used to treat one or more missing teeth. Healthy teeth on the either side of the empty space are the base for bridgework. These healthy teeth are prepared by removing a part of enamel, so these become abutments to the bridgework. This is a cheaper, yet less effective alternative to dental implant surgeries.