Cosmetic Dentistry - Treatment, Procedure And Side Effects

The desire for a stunning smile led to the creation of cosmetic dentistry. This branch of dentistry has gained immense popularity in the recent years especially influenced by the need for perfection. Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving or restoring a person’s dental appearance by working on the alignment, colour, shape and size of the gums, etc. This procedure can help in reshaping teeth, altering its shape, closing gaps and in restoring worn out teeth.

Most of the processes involved are basic such as bonding, bleaching, contouring, and veneers. Although most of the people seek out cosmetic dentistry for aesthetic benefits, this technique can also offer non-aesthetic benefits such as improving the bite. From performing subtle repairs to drastically improving the appearance, cosmetic dentistry has a lot to offer.

General Dentistry Vs Cosmetic Dentistry:

Both general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry are the professions related to teeth but have their own significance. If a patient wants to see the teeth doctor just to fill up the cavities, they can visit a general dentist who can treat the teeth and is skilled in providing basic assistance which is needed and can prevent further decaying.

On the other hand, cosmetic dentistry is more skilful and provide treatment like brightening up of teeth, making the teeth look more natural in appearance. But in both cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry the dentist have to be skilful and should know all the simple and complex procedures.

Dentist related to cosmetic dentistry has to have some additional education, whereas the general dentist needs basic education. The cosmetic dentist may know the teeth cleaning process if they are about to do the teeth whitening procedure.

A cosmetic dentist gives you a better smile by treating stained, discoloured, worn, chipped, broken, misshapen, misaligned teeth or teeth which have a gap between them. Cosmetic dentistry requires special education, specific training, and experience in the specific field of dentistry. There are various processes that a cosmetic dentist can perform like reshaping the teeth, bonding, whitening, bridging, veneers, implanting, straightening, gum lifting.

There are different treatments involved in cosmetic dentistry and here are six of them explained:

1. Teeth Whitening:

The dentist will apply a protective substance on the gums then he/she applies a whitening gel containing hydrogen peroxide on the surface of the tooth. Powerful laser light is then shone on your teeth to activate the gel and to quicken the bleaching process. The entire procedure will take around 30 to 90 minutes. The number of sittings for this process will depend on the extent of staining on your teeth but usually, it takes 1 to 3 sittings.

2. Veneers:

These are used to resolve the issue of teeth crowding. Veneers can slice of porcelain that dentists use to change the dimension of the tooth. The veneers are coloured and shaped to suit your existing teeth and then these are attached to your tooth surface using a bonding agent. Drilling may be used to shape the veneer. Two separate settings will be needed for this treatment. The entire procedure will take around 2-4 weeks. If proper care is taken, these will last as long as 15-20 years.

3. Teeth Straightening:

This can be done in two ways i.e. using orthodontics or cosmetically.

• Cosmetic teeth straightening – You will be under local anesthesia and the dentist uses surgical equipment to remove parts of the gum with the heat from the device. The gum is reshaped to fit the new set of veneers. The teeth will be drilled to accommodate the veneers which are then bonded to the teeth. The surgery will take around 3 hours and treatment requires 3 appointments.
• Orthodontics – This is the most common and popular treatment for teeth straightening. Tooth-coloured or metal braces are fitted over the teeth inside the whole mouth. The wired push and pull the teeth to straighten them. This treatment will take 2 – 3 years and you might also have to wear retainers afterwards.

4. Crowns:

This treatment is done to replace the broken tooth. An impression of your tooth will be taken to make a crown either from metal or porcelain. A part of the original tooth will be cut out and the crown will be bonded to the remaining part of the tooth. The crowns are permanent and the procedure takes two hours and a couple of follow-ups. The entire procedure will take around 3 weeks.

5. Bridges:

Bridges are used for closing gaps. A bridge is made out of porcelain and it is then cemented to the tooth on either side of the gap. The bridge is attached to the two teeth by drilling holes on them. The crown in the middle will mimic a tooth and will blend with the remaining teeth.

6. White fillings:

These are done for teeth that have smaller gaps between them. The filling is made of glass particles and resin which is cemented into the tooth using a bonding agent. If taken proper care, these fillings will last for almost 15 years.

Cosmetic dentistry side effects:

• Sensitivity in teeth due to hot and cold
• Staining of the teeth after the process of whitening is another side effect
• Gum sensitivity or irritation can be caused due to nighttime whitening trays.

Cosmetic dentistry benefits:

• Prevents dental damage: If you have gone through cosmetic dentistry once then the teeth are out of damage and it also prevents further decay of teeth.
• Improve self-confidence: If a person has a bead or dis-shaped teeth then he or she may have lower self-esteem but going through the dental treatment the fear of embarrassment is gone and helps to gain back the confidence.
• Boost the appearance: There is a boost in the appearance of the person and the teeth become shiny white bring change in the viewing aspect of a person.
• Improvement in health: cosmetic dentistry helps in improving the health of the person by stopping the oral decay which can sometimes be life-threatening.
• Affordability: the procedure of cosmetic dentistry is not very costly and is affordable. You can easily accomplish a beautiful smile and not even have to spend much.

Cosmetic dentistry treatments have very less recovery time. You can go home on the same day. But depending on the kind of treatment you might have food restrictions for a few days.

Cosmetic Dentistry: Before and After

• Teeth Whitening: This is also known as teeth bleaching and this is the process in which discolored teeth are or staining of the teeth is removed thus brightening up the teeth.
• Dental veneers: These are used for treating the crooked teeth, chipped teeth, discolored teeth, and also the teeth which have space between them are treated by dental veneers. In this shell is mounted on the teeth which are made up of porcelain or some composite material.
• Crowns: In this, the cosmetic dentist prepares a crown and or caps which are made to cover the whole tooth. They are usually made up of acrylic or porcelain so that it can be fused in the white band of the teeth. Usually is crowing is done to treat the poorly shaped teeth, broken, have had fillings, decayed teeth, and even to cover the space between the teeth.
• Implants: This is basically done to design or replace missing teeth. In this, the device which is made up of titanium is placed into the jaw bone surgically into the jawbone where the actual tooth is missing. Implanting is a permanent process.
• Teeth shaping: This is also called enamel shaping and in this tooth is brought into shape by removing or by reshaping some enamel. This process is immediately effective and usually not painful.
• Tooth bonding: This process is done on the tooth which is broken or chipped. The appearance of those teeth is improved by bonding over the tooth-coloured material on the tooth.
• Orthodontic treatment: If a person has buck teeth or crooked then orthodontic treatment is sought. This treatment is not only for children but also for adults who want to make a change in their looks. Thus by seeking this treatment buck teeth and crooked teeth can become normal.

Depending on the procedure the cosmetic dentistry treatments will cost between Rs. 1000 to Rs. 300000.