What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is increasingly popular in the United States, parallel to the surge in other cosmetic procedures that improve the appearance. The smile is usually the first noticeable feature on a person, and many Americans strive to achieve a perfect smile with perfect (or near perfect) teeth. Thanks to advances in cosmetic dentistry, anyone with the right amount of money can achieve such a smile in a short amount of time, no matter what the original dental condition. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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It seems like cosmetic dentistry is cutting edge, but the value of good-looking teeth goes back as far as the 200s when people used bone and ivory to make crowns, caps and dentures. In later centuries, people used gold for fillings and to replace or cover teeth, often as a status symbol. The ancient Egyptians attached seashells to their gums to replace missing teeth. In the 18th century, porcelain was first used for cosmetic dentistry, and dentists were already developing ways to whiten people's teeth. But the lack of technological development impaired the efficiency, stability and growth of cosmetic dentistry. So with the rapid upswing of technology in the latter half of the 20th century, cosmetic dentistry now offers fast and dramatic methods to improve the smile.
Features
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Standard dentistry promotes healthy teeth and gums, while cosmetic dentistry assumes dental health and works only to improve the appearance of the teeth. This includes the shape, evenness, straightness, color and color consistency of the teeth. Cosmetic dentistry, like standard dentistry, also involves the gums. In standard dentistry, though, the concern is the health of the gums, while in cosmetic dentistry, the focus is the actual appearance of the gum line, how straight and even the gums look around the teeth.
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Cosmetic Shaping
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Cosmetic dentistry encompasses many procedures to even out the overall and individual shape of the teeth. Caps, bridges and crowns are used not only to protect the teeth and act as a "bandage" to damaged teeth, but also to cover and bind the teeth so they appear more straight and even without unsightly gaps or chips. Porcelain veneers have become a star solution in the world of cosmetic dentistry. Veneers are precisely shaped pieces that fit over the front of the tooth. Cosmetic shaping does not alter the original tooth like orthodontic work does, except for a occasional shaving off the tips of teeth. Cosmetic dentistry effects are typically guaranteed to last 10 to 15 years.
Teeth Whitening
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A plethora of products on the market claim to whiten teeth. Off-the-shelf products and treatments can be effective, but advances in cosmetic dentistry yield whitening solutions that are much more effective. Laser whitening is the application of a professional strength bleaching gel over the front of the teeth, which are then targeted by special light rays for about an hour or less to brighten the teeth up to 16 shades whiter. This cosmetic dentistry treatment can be performed on just about anyone but is ideal for patients with excessively stained teeth that don't benefit from off-the-shelf products.
Gum Treatment
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Sometimes the shape of the gums can contribute to teeth looking misaligned or crooked where the gum line seems to rise or fall dramatically. Dentists will often treat the gums in conjunction with another cosmetic procedure, usually veneers. One cosmetic procedure for gums is to clip them with a tiny scissor-like instrument, slicing small pieces. This slicing makes the gum line recede in the target area so that it is even and straight. This procedure is fast and heals within a week, although in the meantime a patient's gums will appear black.
Benefits
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Cosmetic dentistry procedures can achieve a patient's desired look rather quickly. Porcelain veneers typically take just two visits. Also, cosmetic dentistry evaluates the entire appearance of the teeth, then compartmentalizes the different aesthetic aspects of the teeth that need correction in order to yield a "dazzling" smile.
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