It has become easier for Aurora general and cosmetic dentists to provide their patients with a bright white, even-toothed smile than in the past.
For starters, most people wishing to improve the appearance of their teeth should concentrate on basic tooth care like proper brushing and flossing, and regularly scheduled dental appointments. When patients wish to enhance or rejuvenate their smile they must seek out an Aurora-area cosmetic dentist that provides these treatments and services.
A host of alternatives are available for the patient looking for cosmetic dentistry, including: tooth whitening, fillings and crowns, inlays and onlays, veneers, composite bonding, and even full mouth restoration. A patient’s ideal treatment plan may require straightening or alignment of the teeth, which could be performed using Invisalign.
The rationale behind cosmetic dentistry is to make the teeth and the mouth look better, often requiring materials not usually needed by a conventional dentist. The scope of treatments undertaken by the cosmetic dentist has also expanded to cover services normally associated with a conventional dentist, like filling cavities. The development of using porcelain and composite material in cosmetic restoration, which is the same material used to replace old, metal fillings, has brought conventional dental fillings into the purview of the cosmetic dentist, as well.
Inlays and onlays are frequently referred to as “indirect” fillings because they are not molded into place, but created in a laboratory environment and then attached to the tooth. Inlays and onlays are used in cases where conventional fillings don’t work. They are an effective treatment for restoring and reinforcing decayed and damaged teeth. The restoration position and extent of coverage required will determine whether an inlay or only is used. An inlay is bonded to the center of a tooth, while an onlay is used to treat more extensive damage and provide more extensive coverage, usually covering more than one point of the tooth.
Composite bonding is a procedure commonly used for both filling and repairing teeth. Aurora-area cosmetic dentists can restore teeth using fillings which join one surface with another or direct bonding which involves application of a resin material to a tooth to cover its compromised or damaged areas.
Composite bonding, though, is not always the ideal treatment modality for restoring damaged teeth.
Veneers, which are custom-designed for each patient, are created from a durable ceramic material and applied to the teeth to guard areas where the enamel is worn, or areas with chips and cracks, or to correct irregular setting or spaces between teeth. Veneers offer versatility in cosmetic dentistry as they solve most problems. Dental veneers are often the treatment of choice for Aurora dentists for many of their patients as they provide a trouble free, sturdy and normal looking course of cosmetic dental treatment.
Sometimes a tooth may be so greatly damaged that that a veneer is not sufficient, and the remaining solution is placement of a crown. After the extensively damaged tooth has been prepared, a crown or cap can be fitted onto it to restore its level of function.
Crowns are manufactured mostly from three materials - gold, porcelain, and metal encased in porcelain.
The metal-porcelain combination produces the strongest, most hard-wearing and most aesthetically pleasing crowns. The only downside to such crowns is that the patient’s gums recede with age and there is the chance that the metallic portions will be exposed and require placement of porcelain “collars”.
Crowns made exclusively out of porcelain require less space as they do not have a metal core, and are ideal for use where space is at a premium.
The use of gold crowns is usually limited to molars or for patients with a habit of tooth grinding, because while gold withstands the pressures of grinding, it will not contribute to the break down of the enamel of occluding (opposite) teeth. However, gold is very noticeable and patients may opt for a more aesthetically pleasing result.
When more than a single tooth must be addressed, many Aurora cosmetic dentists offer two services, smile makeovers and full-mouth reconstruction. Smile makeovers attempt to achieve a more beautiful appearance of the teeth utilizing different cosmetic dental procedures and materials like whitening, veneers or crowns.
Full-mouth reconstruction is a more comprehensive process, and involves a complete appraisal of the patient’s needs before a smile makeover is done. This appraisal is based on assessed complications with the patient’s teeth, bone structure, bite pattern or facial muscles. Such issues can be addressed with implants, treatment of gum disease, orthodontics and even bone grafting or soft tissue (gum) surgical procedures to build up bone and gum to accept restorations.
There are many cosmetic dentistry options available and patients should consult with their Aurora dentist about their own individual needs and wishes in order to decide on the best treatment plan to attain the best results possible.
Schedule an appointment now to learn more about cosmetic dentistry, professional teeth whitening, or to schedule an appointment now for treatment of a smile makeover consultation.
