Cosmetic Dentistry Options

Cosmetic dentistry can range from the relatively inexpensive and noninvasive process of teeth whitening to more complex procedures such as dental implants and bridges. People may seek cosmetic dentistry​ for a number of reasons. They may have had poor dental care as children or young adults, and the look of their mouth is suffering as a result. 

Enhance Your Smile with Cosmetic Dentistry

Regular brushing, flossing, and trips to the dentist will reduce your risk of teeth stains, chips, and cracks, but damage can take place at any time. If you are no longer satisfied with the appearance of your teeth, then take a look at these modern cosmetic dentistry treatments that will allow you to once again smile with confidence.

Expert Tips for Achieving a Hollywood Smile

It’s not much of a secret that everyone views white and even teeth as the most attractive asset a person can have, thus they will do whatever it takes for them to achieve a red carpet-worthy set of pearly whites. Some people even turn to toothpastes that hold the promise of whitening teeth in a short time, something that most dentists warn against.

Damaged Teeth? Get Fillings for a Better Smile

A smile can give people a good impression of you. However, tooth decay can have unsightly effects, and ruin a person’s smile. For instance, teeth with cavities can turn black or yellow and are considered quite bad to look at. This is where fillings come in. If the cavities are not widespread, the right use of fillings can restore a tooth into looking like its original state. A good cosmetic dentist can clean out the cavities of rotten material and disinfect them to stop further decay. After that, the fillings are applied; these would provide protection to the teeth and stop bacteria from entering. Also, fillings aren’t just for tooth decay; they can be used when teeth are damaged.

Types of Fillings

Depending on how bad the damage is, and considering your needs and budget, there are different types of fillings available. First, there are gold fillings; easy to mold into the needed shape, gold also happens to be highly durable and hard to tarnish. Second, there are silver amalgam fillings which are very resistant to wear. Finally, there are composite and porcelain fillings that look like natural teeth and are often used on the front to make them look natural.

Consult First

Your choice of fillings can be narrowed down through a consultation with your dentist. After all, a professional would know what’s best to use for your particular situation. Additionally, cosmetic dentistry also provides other options on how to repair a damaged tooth, like veneers and crowns.

How Cosmetic Dentistry Boosts Self-Esteem

Cosmetic dentists in Philadelphia provide services that can improve patients' lives in many ways. In fact, with simple procedures such as whitening and bonding, the appearance of one’s teeth can be significantly enhanced. Most cosmetic treatments require only a single to a few dental appointments.

Enamel is gradually stained by certain beverages, food and tobacco products. Teeth whitening can remove unsightly spots and discoloration on the surface of teeth. Although there are DIY or at-home teeth whitening kits, it’s best to have this treatment carried out by a dental professional. Improper or excessing bleaching or whitening can create an unnatural finish that looks unattractive and superficial.

Bonding is another common restorative procedure that is performed by cosmetic dentists in Philadelphia. In contrast to whitening, bonding is applied only to a few teeth, specifically the damaged ones. The goal of bonding is to cover up teeth that have become discolored, cracked, chipped, or damaged. A cosmetic dentist applies a tough resin that sticks to the natural surface of patients' teeth. Bonding can also be helpful in adding some texture and substance to uneven edges of incisors and canines, which can get worn significantly due to their front positions in the mouth.

Veneer installation is a more comprehensive procedure compared to bonding and whitening. Since veneers are made of porcelain, they are durable shells that protect damaged teeth and improve their appearance.

Dealing with Nicotine Stains on Your Teeth

Smoking does not only increase the risk of lung disease, but it also gives the teeth a dark, unsightly shade. Unlike typical stains left by pigmented food, nicotine stains are hard to remove. Brushing and flossing may not be enough. Thanks to cosmetic dentistry, this dental problem can be quickly addressed.

Cosmetic Dentistry Techniques Help You Smile Again

If you’re worried about your teeth, cosmetic dentistry can help a lot. As the name suggests, this branch of dentistry is mainly concerned with the improvement of the patient’s smile, teeth, and mouth while being able to restore and repair damaged teeth as well. Cosmetic dentists employ an approach called holistic or natural dentistry wherein biocompatible materials are used instead of the regular prosthetic devices. Natural cosmetic dentists design treatment plans that will suit the appearance of the patient’s teeth and may improve overall wellbeing as well.

Eating With a Fresh Set of Pearly Whites

Professionals at cosmetic dentistry in Philadelphia will have teeth whitening as one of their services – specifically the vaunted Zoom!® whitening system. Many dental practitioners and patients vouch for this product as effective in restoring the teeth’s old luster and make it better than ever. If you do undergo teeth whitening and the procedure was a success, take heed of a few of these restrictions on your gastronomic liberties; you need to take these into account to make sure your newly-brightened teeth stays radiant.

How Crooked Teeth Can Be Straightened

Crooked teeth lead to several irregularities in the oral cavity, improper chewing, low self-esteem, and difficulty in cleaning teeth due to tight spaces that could not be reached. For crooked teeth problems, you need specialized treatment from a cosmetic dentist.

Dental bonding involves mixing a resin with quartz and applying it onto the affected areas of the teeth for immediate shaping through a sculpting tool or laser light device. The object is to have a resin solution that matches the exact shade of the teeth.

Three Tips for Longer Lasting Porcelain Veneers

Veneers are one of the best restoration solutions for a pretty smile but unfortunately, it can’t last forever. Their lifespan depends partly on how well you take care of them so you have to do your part.

Brush and floss regularly

Even if porcelain veneer’s glass-like nature protect it from stains, bacteria may still affect it, especially if the veneer-less tooth adjacent to it is not cleaned regularly.

Safer Alternative to Amalgam

Millions of people owe their beautiful smiles to dental amalgam. It has been used by dentists all over the world to prevent tooth decay from spreading. However, amalgam’s reputation is changing due to issues about its safety as a dental filling because it consists of mercury.

Mercury is considered a neurotoxin, and is associated with various cases of Alzheimer’s Disease and Auto Immune Diseases. The mercury in amalgam also has the potential to disrupt the body’s metabolic processes due to its toxicity when combined with sulfur, which is present in all proteins in the body.

What is Holistic Dentistry?

The typical person might think of dentistry as little more than a study of caring for the teeth, but this aren’t the only things dentists are concerned with. Dentistry also addresses issues relating to other bones, tissues, and organs in the mouth. Of course, studies even claim that dental problems like periodontal disease could be taking a toll on the body as a whole.

Turn to Cosmetic Dentistry for Perfect Teeth

Not everyone can have a naturally perfect smile. Accidents, neglect, and even the simple passage of time can cause damage to a person’s teeth. However, this can be corrected with the help of cosmetic dentistry. A visit to the dentist can easily solve the following problems:

• Stained Teeth: Our teeth can be stained by various means. Drinks like wine and tea can discolor teeth, while cigarette smoking also has the same effect. Even if we are careful, age can naturally turn teeth yellow. A dentist would be able to help with this by doing a teeth-whitening procedure which applies a whitening solution to teeth by a set of dental trays.
• Crooked Teeth: The occurrence of crooked teeth is the result of misalignment in the position of the teeth as they grow and take their places in your gums. Crooked teeth can be corrected by braces or by applying porcelain veneers. In the latter procedure, parts of the tooth are shaved off and then the veneers are applied to give the appearance of naturally aligned teeth.
• Damaged Teeth: Sometimes, teeth are damaged either through decay or accidents. Dental crowns can be applied so as to give the illusion that they are in perfect shape.
• Missing Teeth: Dentures and dental implants are two of the options available to those who have had lost a tooth or a set of teeth. You can choose either of the two ways to replace damaged or lost teeth.

With all of these options, a well-trained dentist can ensure you’ll have something perfect to smile about once again.

What's a Dental Emergency?

What qualifies as a dental emergency? Is it a tooth knocked out of place by accident? A loose crown? Sleep apnea?

Dentists can't agree on a definition, but any individual who starts to feel pain or panic does. It's when you really wish for a dentist to look at your out-of-place braces at 3:00 a.m., for instance. Many dentists either take calls (to prioritize your case within 24 hours) or work round the clock to your benefit. How a dentist gets enough rest is a story for another time.

The good news is that nearly every known dental problem qualifies as an emergency. It's only a matter of knowing whether or not you really need someone who can help right now. Toothache, which can be a result of a loose tooth or abscess, is considered a dental emergency. Post-op effects like bleeding gums are also dental emergencies.

However, most dentists usually take calls after hours and attend to you during office hours. So, you'll have to find ways to cope with the pain while you wait. For aching teeth, put a bag of ice next to the pain area. For a loose crown, place it back using over-the-counter dental cement or wait for the dentist to do it for you.

Cosmetic Dentistry: Choosing What’s Best for You

Cosmetic dentistry has made having a healthy set of teeth and restoring a smile’s former glory possible and affordable. However, if you’re thinking about having your teeth repaired, don’t go rushing into the first dental office you can find just yet. You must first evaluate your dentist and learn what questions you need your dentist to answer.

Plaque Buildup Prevention Promotes Good Health

The effects of proper dental care go beyond beautiful pearly whites. According to studies, a healthy oral cavity has a direct effect on a person’s overall health. If you brush, floss, and visit your dentist regularly, you are likely to minimize plaque buildup.

Biocompatibility in Cosmetic Dentistry

Some cosmetic dentistry procedures have come a long way from its difficult beginnings. For instance, it took dental implant developers over 40 years of research and testing before corporations felt confident enough to invest in the promotion of the procedure. Despite their invention in the 1920s, dental veneers only started to be a common dentistry solution in the 1980s when a safe method to securely bond porcelain to enamel was developed.

These delays were mainly due to uncertainties on the safety of cosmetic dentistry products. Attaching synthetic materials to living tissues can pose various risks, including systemic toxic responses. Thus, it is only appropriate to validate each material’s safety and prove its biocompatibility before it can gain acceptance in the medical community.

Biocompatibility refers to a material’s property of having benign effects on living tissue, that is, it will not cause injury or bodily rejection in humans. In restorative dentistry, biocompatibility is measured or determined by the absence of toxic, leachable, or diffusible substance that can later spawn infections or diseases

Some dental restorative materials today are under scrutiny for possibly being non-biocompatible. As there has been no official restrictions on these, it falls on patients to keep themselves informed and make wise decisions based on what they know. Going to a reliable dentist who adheres to a holistic approach is a good way to ensure only biocompatible products will be used in treatments.

Cosmetic Dentistry Helps Straighten Crooked Teeth

Crooked teeth ruin a perfectly good smile. In the past, people think there’s not much they can do about it, but with advancement in dental technology—and cosmetic dentistry, specifically—crooked, cracked, or lost teeth can be fixed in the shortest time possible. Dental braces, for instance, now also come in a form that is removable, and virtually undetectable.

Create a Perfect Smile with Cosmetic Dentistry

When people think of dentistry, the image that immediately pops up in their heads is that of teeth being pulled out. Not exactly what many would call a pleasant image or something we can associate with the word “cosmetic.” However, the truth of the matter is that dentistry is more than teeth extractions; it leans towards making people look good too. 

This is why cosmetic dentistry is a natural progression. If you've got crooked or missing teeth, you're probably afraid to smile. A skilled dentist would be able to bring back that smile to your face with a few cosmetic techniques. Some of them are as follows: 

Taking Care of Dental Veneers

If your teeth need a modest degree of protection, installing veneers may do the job. Proper application of veneers can surely provide additional flair for your teeth and a beautiful smile. A lovely smile is a big thing for your self-confidence and personality. 

Commonly, veneers are either made out of porcelain or composite materials. Just like the teeth they cover up, veneers require sufficient maintenance. Regular brushing and flossing against the buildup of plaque around them are the most common techniques of maintenance. However, hard strokes can dislodge the veneers in the teeth. Some cosmetic dentists recommend special toothpaste solutions that are gentler on veneers. 

If you developed the habit of gnashing on a snack pack to tear it open, you will have to stop it once the veneers are installed. It can damage the veneers due to pressure. Avoiding eating dark foods and smoking are good ways to prevent stains in the teeth and veneers. Drinking alcohol has to be avoided, as well, because it dissolves the veneer adhesive. Veneers are installed to safeguard the teeth from further damage. However, making sure they are in excellent condition has a lot to do with you. For the most part, this requires a major change in your lifestyle.