You might know that when you come across the word dentist, it refers to a specialist who diagnoses and treats different teeth conditions. That said, coming across a phrase like cosmetic dentistry might confuse you. It is not that complex; it simply means a dentist who offers dental services that are aimed at restoring or improving your appearance. Here are some examples of dental conditions that fall under cosmetic dentistry:
Discoloured Teeth
If you have discoloured teeth, you might shy away from smiling because you are afraid of people seeing your discoloured teeth. Since this affects your appearance, it can be classified as something cosmetic and thus falls under cosmetic dentistry.
A cosmetic dentist offers services such as teeth whitening, veneers and bondings to treat your discoloured teeth. The choice of treatment is not based on preference but what will work best for you. Therefore, let your dentist inspect or examine your teeth and determine the treatment to use.
Misaligned Teeth
This is when your teeth are crooked, have an overbite, underbite or crossbite, when they are congested or when they have grown incorrectly. Just like in the case of discoloured teeth, you might shy away from smiling and may have problems chewing and talking.
You need a cosmetic dentist to align your teeth through services like braces and Invisalign. When choosing braces, you have the option of choosing braces that aren't noticeable, but you might spend slightly more than you would on traditional metallic braces.
Invisalign is not suitable for everyone. Your dentist has to examine your teeth to determine whether you are a good candidate for them. They might also be pricier in the long run than braces.
Missing Teeth
You can lose teeth in various ways, for example, tooth infection, tooth and gum disease, dental extraction procedure, accident, etc. Regardless of the way you lose your teeth, your appearance might change, especially if you lose the visible teeth (your incisors, canines and some premolars).
A cosmetic dentist offers denture or dental implant services to restore missing teeth. Dentures are the cheaper option mainly because of their features. They are like prostheses that can be taken out and worn when needed. They also require high maintenance to ensure that they remain durable.
Dental implants look more real and are permanent, meaning less maintenance. They are also installed through surgery. These are some of the reasons why they are expensive compared to their alternatives.
