As hardly anyone is happy with their original set of teeth, cosmetic dentistry is very popular. Any dental work done to alter the look of the teeth is considered to be cosmetic dentistry. If you have ever seen any of the extremely popular image makeover shows on TV, you would know that the first area worked on in the image makeover is the smile. The first thing improved is the entrant has any necessary cosmetic dentistry done. Some have major cosmetic dentistry done, missing teeth replaced, chipped ones repaired and so on. Others who, for instance, are smokers or coffee drinkers, just need their teeth to be bleached or whitened. Which are you? Taking a look at the cosmetic dentistry procedures we have set out below may help you decide what you need.  

Cosmetic Dentistry Type No. 1 – What is Tooth Whitening?
When people have a basically good set of teeth that are just stained due to smoking or drinking red wine or coffee, they can use what is probably the cheapest and easiest form of cosmetic dentistry – tooth bleaching or tooth whitening. It is also probably the simplest form. For instance, with at-home tooth whitening solutions, you get a ‘whitening kit’. The best types of kit will include instructions and materials for you to make your own teeth impressions, which you then send off to an approved dental lab. The impressions are used to create a customized tray for you, which you then use to put the whitening gel (also provided in the whitening kit) on your teeth. From here, it’s simply a matter of using the whitening tray and gel as often as you like till you get the level of whiteness you desire.

Average Cost: $150 and above per tooth whitening system (includes gels, trays, etc).
Main Pros: inexpensive; easy to perform, convenient to apply.
Main Cons: requires maintenance.

Cosmetic Dentistry Type No. 2 – What are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin sheets of porcelain that are bonded or molded to the front of your teeth using a curing light. Although considered a tooth whitening solution (and that indeed they are), this cosmetic dentistry option offers so much more than just whitening your teeth. Porcelain dental veneers can be used to remove gaps between your teeth, fill out any chips on your teeth, and others. In short, they change the outline of your teeth, enabling you to flash a ‘perfect set’ of pearly whites.

You need three visits to the dentist for this cosmetic dentistry procedure. At the first, the two of you discuss what changes you want to make to your teeth. At the second appointment, your teeth are shaved or reduced by about .5mm and a mold of your teeth taken for the porcelain veneers to be made. The veneers take about a week in the lab. Then you can have your third and, hopefully, final visit to have your veneers fitted. You only need another visit if some adjustment is needed.

Average Cost: $500 to $2000 per tooth
Main Pros: looks very natural; stain-resistant.
Main Cons: irreversible procedure; can be quire expensive.

Cosmetic Dentistry Type No. 3 – What is Dental Bonding?
Dental bonding is a form of cosmetic dentistry where a dental composite filling is applied on your teeth. It basically uses the same procedure as applying porcelain veneers but the material used is different. So what IS dental composite? To put it simply, it’s mainly plastic plus fillers and modifiers that serve to enhance the general characteristics of this plastic. As such, there is no one, single recipe for dental composite because its composition depends on what is required. For example, if you want dental bonding done on your front teeth, the need for a better, more natural color is needed (compared to, say, dental bonding for your molars). As such, the fillers and modifiers added to the plastic will be those that improve the composite’s color.

You need to have two appointments for the dental bonding procedure. The first visit is a general consultation and discussion about what you want done. The second appointment is to reduce or shave your teeth to make space for the dental bonding material. The actual placing of the dental composite material takes place during the same appointment.

Average Cost: $200 to $600 per tooth
Main Pro: inexpensive; can be accomplished in one dental visit.
Main Con: only good for minor teeth imperfections.

Cosmetic Dentistry Type No. 4 – What are Dental Implants?
People who just want white teeth to make a good first impression don’t need dental implants. They are a form of cosmetic dentistry that is needed by people with missing, broken or badly infected teeth who don’t want just a plate of false teeth. A dental implant procedure often calls for the insertion of a titanium screw into your jaw bone. (Titanium is used because it is believed that the mononucleate cells that are responsible for bone formation actually ‘connect’ to this element.) Once the dental implant is in place, a few months of ‘recovery time’ (or integration time) are needed. After this, a temporary crown is fitted so that your gums can grow around the crown and form a natural shape. After this, the permanent crown is implanted.

Average Cost: approx. $2500 per implant
Main Pro: nearest possible replacement to natural teeth
Main Con: extremely expensive; success rates largely dependent on oral surgeon skill.

What you want to have done and how much it will cost are major factors in your decision making process. And remember, Cosmetic dentistry has many different options for you to choose from. 

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 6th, 2007 at 12:22 am and is filed under Cosmetic Dentistry . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.