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Cosmetic Dentistry How often have you heard "You have a beautiful
Smile"?
Cosmetic dentistry's goal is to increase self-confidence by building a beautiful smile. The tools of cosmetic dentistry include photographs of the existing smile to make evaluations, bleaching, composite bonding to restore parts of teeth or correct decay, porcelain veneers and crowns to reshape and rebuild individual teeth, implants to replace missing teeth, and orthodontics to straighten crooked teeth. Using photographs the dentist can check the symmetry, shape, color, and position of the teeth based on our current understanding of aesthetics. Bleaching (using carbamoyl peroxide gel on the surface of the teeth) has been one of the biggest smile enhancers in decades. Composite is the white filling material used to fill cavities, and shape teeth. Different composites have been developed that can be used to fill cavities in both the front back teeth. They are a combination of ceramic particles in an organic matrix. The material is placed in the teeth and a high intensity light is used to harden the material. Porcelain must be fired in a furnace and therefore required additional steps. Porcelain technology has advanced to the point that the finished veneers, crowns or inlays are life like and strong. Implants have been around for almost two decades in the United States and have added significantly to cosmetic dentistry. Replacing a missing tooth with an implant is a conservative aesthetic procedure. The same technology to fabricate porcelain crowns is then used to make the final tooth on the implant. Cosmetic dentistry has many facets, however the goal remains the same.....to build a beautiful smile. John
V. Reitz, D.D.S., F.A.G.D. Copyright
2008. All rights reserved. |
Functional Dentistry would include procedures to eliminate
toothache, restore chewing, and speaking. Cosmetic dentistry's goal is to
improve the appearance of your smile. A person's personality is
reflected in their smile. It is one of the major aspects of our
appearance that identifies us to other people. It is also true that
we are often judged by the appearance of our teeth.