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Cosmetic Dentistry
What is Cosmetic Dentistry? | What kinds of cosmetic dental procedures are there?
Smile Design | Lumineers | Smile Whitening | Glossary of Cosmetic Dental Terms
What kinds of cosmetic dental procedures are there?
 Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening or tooth bleaching is one of the most simple and least expensive procedures in cosmetic dentistry and smile makeovers. Teeth whitening can restore the whiteness to natural tooth enamel to give you a more youthful smile. Most external and some internal stains can be lightened or eliminated by teeth whitening.
Dental Bonding
 Dental bonding, also referred to as composite, composite resin, or tooth colored fillings, involves using a tooth colored filling material to restore tooth structure that was lost to decay or other damage. This is a cosmetic alternative to the older silver (amalgam) filling material. In general, dental bonding is not as durable or stain resistant as treatments using porcelain as the restorative material however it is much less expensive and can be completed in a single visit. If dental bonding chips or breaks it may be repaired instead of replaced if no decay is present. Dental bonding can also be used to change the size and shape of teeth in cosmetic dentistry and smile makeovers.
Porcelain Veneers
 A porcelain veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that is bonded onto a tooth to improve its cosmetic appearance. Porcelain veneers are the latest innovation in cosmetic dentistry. Because of their ability to greatly change the overall appearance of smiles they are most often used in smile makeovers. Compared to dental bonding, porcelain veneers usually look more life like and they have the added benefit of resisting staining as well. Porcelain veneers can correct problems with spaces between teeth, crooked teeth, crowded teeth, internally and externally stained teeth, and short or poorly shaped teeth.
Enamel Recontouring
Cosmetic dentistry and smile makeovers both use enamel recontouring, also called Enamelplasty, to quickly give uneven teeth a more harmonious, even appearance. Enamel recontouring involves removing small amounts of enamel from different areas of the teeth in order to improve their shape and overall appearance by rounding off sharp points and smoothing irregular edges.
Gingival Recontouring and Gingival Grafting
Smile makeovers and cosmetic dentistry are enhanced by gingival recontouring, also called gingivectomy or a “gum lift.” Gingival recontouring involves removal of excess gum tissue covering the front teeth. Excess gum tissue may cause teeth to appear short when they are actually only covered by excess gum tissue. Teeth that once appeared short can be restored to a more attractive size. Uncovering the teeth can make a dramatic improvement to your smile. Conversely gingival grafting can add gum tissue to cover areas of the tooth which should be covered by gum tissue but have been uncovered by recession, a condition in which the gums pull away from the teeth – exposing the root and making the tooth appear too long.
Inlays and Onlays
 When a large part of a tooth is missing, and more strength, durability and esthetics than dental bonding can supply are required, porcelain or laboratory fabricated resin inlays or onlays are excellent options. Inlays cover one or more tooth surface areas between the cusps (a cusp is the pointed chewing section of a back tooth). Onlays replace one or more entire cusps of a tooth. Like dental crowns inlays and onlays are more durable, stain resistant and esthetic than dental bonding. Inlays and onlays also strengthen the tooth they are bonded to more so than dental bonding does. In contrast to dental crowns, inlays and onlays are conservative, requiring the removal of only decayed areas of the tooth, leaving more of the healthy tooth structure intact. Inlays and onlays are more expensive than dental bonding, however, due to their much longer life and color stability, in the case of porcelain, inlays and onlays are a much better long-term investment.
Dental Crowns and Dental Bridges
 Cosmetic dentistry and smile makeovers use these restorations when strength as well as esthetics are needed. Unlike porcelain veneers, which cover only the front, sides and chewing edge of teeth, dental crowns cover the entire surface of the teeth and can be made with or without a metal substructure. Crowns have the added benefit of being cosmetic because they can improve the color, size, shape and overall appearance of teeth. Bridges are a series of crowns joined together to replace missing teeth.
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