The Ins And Outs Of Cosmetic Dentistry

If there is one part of the face that people are constantly concerned with, it is the health and state of their teeth. Many people undergo numerous cosmetic procedures to improve upon their natural smile. Surprisingly, this can actually have a huge positive impact on the individual’s mental health. 

What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

There are many varying branches and procedures to cosmetic dentistry that all work towards the same goal:

• Dental Bonding: Dental bonding describes the procedure of applying putty to the teeth and hardening it with lasers or ultraviolet light, thus bonding the material to the teeth. The dentist will then proceed to trim, shape, and polish the resin applied to the surface of the teeth. The purpose of dental bonding is simply to repair damaged teeth or it can be a replacement for fillings. This is a rather expensive procedure, however and can take up to an hour to complete. But if the dentistry practice is a respected and qualified one, the results will be worth the money.
• Dental Implants: Implants are essentially replacement tooth roots, typically made of titanium that is inserted into the socket of a missing tooth. While this may sound particularly invasive, the jawbone heals and grows around the implant, thus securing it within the jaw and creating a base for a replacement tooth.
• Teeth Whitening: Teeth whitening is a simple and straightforward procedure that creates incredible results. It can either be performed in the dentist’s chair or you can buy a kit from the practice and do it at home. The teeth are simply bleached to eradicate any undesirable staining. 
• Veneers: Dental veneers are extraordinarily thin, tailor-made shells of resin (or sometimes porcelain) that cover the surface of the teeth. First, about a half millimetre of enamel is removed from the teeth and the veneers are bonded to the tooth. The practicality of this is to change the color, shape, length, or overall size. Once again, this is a very costly procedure.
• Inlays and Onlays: This can sometimes be known as indirect fillings. They can be made from several different materials, such as gold, porcelain, or composite substances. Inlays and Onlays are actually specifically created in a dentistry lab and bonded into place by a dentist. Inlays are when the material is bonded in the exact middle or center of the tooth, while onlays are when the filling covers more points of the chosen tooth or biting surface. The aim of inlays and onlays is to preserve as much healthy tooth as possible to give the smile a more natural look.

There are a few other procedures, but the ones listed above are the most popular and trusted. 

What are the benefits?

There are actually quite a few benefits to cosmetic dentistry:

• It saves you money in the long run. While cosmetic dentistry procedures can seem extortionate in price, if you take care of your teeth in the long run, you will not need to spend much more money on other operations and procedures. This will save you a large proportion of money in the long term. It is best to take pro active action while your teeth and thereby your smile are still in the position to do so.
• Another benefit is that you can finally be confident within yourself and with your smile. This could also greatly improve your mental health. No more tight sipped smiles in photographs.
• Eat any food you want. After your dental operations are finished and your teeth have healed correctly, there is no need to avoid acidic or potentially damaging food stuffs. 

Andi Perullo de Ledesma

I am Andi Perullo de Ledesma, a Chinese Medicine Doctor and Travel Photojournalist in Charlotte, NC. I am also wife to Lucas and mother to Joaquín. Follow us as we explore life and the world one beautiful adventure at a time.

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