Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry is a fine amalgamation of restorative and general dental procedures. It primarily focuses on improving the aesthetic appeal of the entire oral cavity.
Today, cosmetic dentistry is gaining more ground than ever and has become the most popular and coveted form of dental service. Cosmetic dentistry procedures enhance the appearance of the teeth, gums, and bite to make one's smile look like a million dollars. They can help people looking for cosmetic dental enhancements in the following way:
● Removes stains and discoloration from the surface of teeth to make the smile look lustrous.
● Fixes chipped teeth that may have resulted from an injury or dental trauma.
● Straightens crooked teeth to make the smile look uniform and symmetric.
● Replaces missing teeth to cover unsightly gaps between teeth.
● Repairs cracked and worn-out teeth to restore their appearance and functionality.
● Closes gaps between teeth to make the smile look uniform.
● Provides a complete smile makeover and helps one achieve a red-carpet-ready smile.
What are the procedures offered under cosmetic dentistry?
1. Teeth whitening
Teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedure and is performed in a dental office under the supervision of an experienced dentist. An oxidant-rich gel is painted on the surface of teeth to break down stains and transform yellow, brown teeth into lustrous pearly whites. Teeth whitening removes all kinds of stains-intrinsic, extrinsic, and age-related.
2. Tooth bonding
Tooth bonding is the easiest and least expensive procedure used to improve the cosmetic appeal of teeth. It uses a tooth-colored, plastic-like composite resin to fix teeth inflicted with decay, chips, fractures, and discoloration. The composite resin is applied to the inflicted regions of teeth and hardened using a special blue light. It is a quick process and requires a single visit to the dentist's office.
3. Braces and aligners
Most things beautiful are uniform and symmetric, especially smiles. Cosmetic dentistry employs the use of braces and aligners to treat orthodontic issues that inflict the smile- crooked, gapped, and malpositioned teeth. Braces use metal brackets and wires to push crooked teeth into their ideal position, while aligners use virtually invisible trays to achieve the same.
4. Dental implants
Missing teeth truly damage the aesthetic appeal of the smile and make it look unsightly and displeasing. Cosmetic dentistry employs dental implants to replace missing teeth and restore the beauty of your smile. Dental implants are titanium screws, surgically placed below the gums, in the jaw. They act as false tooth roots and are attached to dental prosthetics like crowns, bridges, or dentures to fill the gaps left by missing teeth.
5. Dentures
A denture is a removable prosthetic device, professionally designed to replace one or more missing teeth on the upper or the lower dental arch. It consists of artificial teeth attached to a gum-colored base. The base fits snugly over the soft gum tissues, while the artificial teeth act as a replacement for the missing teeth. Dentures are custom-designed for each patient using the impressions of their mouth and are fabricated in a dental lab using state of the art technology.
6. Dental crowns
Crowns are tooth-shaped and tooth-colored dental prosthetics used to cover damaged, decayed, or worn-out teeth. They are custom-made porcelain jackets and are permanently cemented in place using a dental adhesive. They enhance the color, shape, size of teeth and add a delightful look to one's smile. Crowns not only improve the aesthetic appeal of teeth but also provide strength to the teeth they are bonded to.
7. Dental bridges
Dental bridges are also used to replace one or more missing teeth. A bridge consists of an artificial tooth (pontic) connected to a crown on either one or both sides. The artificial tooth covers the gap left by a missing tooth and crowns are cemented on the teeth present adjacent to the gaps-they act as anchors for the bridge.
8. Enamel reshaping
Enamel reshaping makes the surface of teeth uniform and even by removing chips and rough spots and filling unsightly gaps with composite resin. The end result is a flawless and mesmerizingly uniform smile.
9. Crown lengthening
Crown lengthening removes extra gum tissues that cover the surface of teeth and make them look small and unsightly. Dental lasers are employed in this procedure to eliminate the soft gum tissues and make the teeth look long, uniform, and pleasing.
10. Dental veneers
Dental veneers are extremely thin (wafer-like) shells of porcelain bonded to the topical surface of teeth to fix dental deformities like chips, cracks, fractures, gaps, and discoloration. Veneers are popular among patients looking for both restorative and cosmetic dental procedures.
At Murray Dental Care of Cupertino, our entire team of dentists and hygienists is committed to providing supreme quality dental care to our patients and their families. If you are inclined towards taking the first steps to improve your dental health and hygiene, call us at (408) 253-5277 to book an appointment.
