What is cosmetic dentistry and how do you know if it is right for you or your family?
Cosmetic dentistry is dentistry that provides beautiful teeth, provides a beautiful smile, and it's for cosmetic reasons. How would you know if cosmetic dentistry is right for you or for your family? The question that you really have to ask yourself is whether there's something about your smile that you want to improve. If you like your smile the way it is, then there's nothing to look for. However, if you feel like you want to have a better smile, better teeth, better-looking teeth, maybe a lighter shade of your teeth, maybe a better form, then you can look for a consultation to see what can be done. Don't assume that there are no answers and there are no options for you. There are options that you're not aware of, and you can only find out once you get a consultation.
What is the difference between cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry?
The difference between cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry is that the borders are being faded away as you get closer. But cosmetic dentistry is mostly addressing beauty and aesthetics, while general dentistry addresses everything from start to finish, including extractions of bad teeth, doing root canals, and doing fillings. Under general dentistry, a lot of things fall. In cosmetic dentistry, we're really addressing just the beauty for the most part.
How can a cosmetic dentist fix your teeth?
There are really a lot of ways of fixing teeth. If there are no more teeth present or teeth are not going to be present soon, then we can involve implants and give you teeth that look good and will satisfy, and give you self-esteem and confidence. If you have existing teeth and there are minor things that you want to change, then we can use the same teeth and provide veneers or crowns that will make those teeth appear more beautiful, with a color that you would like to choose for yourself, and make them look more natural, pleasing, and appealing to the eye. There are really many ways of addressing dental needs for cosmetic dentistry. The best way to find out is to get a consultation with a dentist, with your dentist, or with us in our office.
Can cosmetic dentistry improve your smile?
This is absolutely a good question, and the reason that we are doing cosmetic dentistry is to improve smiles. Cosmetic dentistry, by definition, has one goal and one goal only: to improve the smile.
Can cosmetic dentistry fix an overbite?
It's something that has to be checked, and sometimes it is a yes, sometimes it is a no, and that's really patient-specific.
Can cosmetic dentistry fix crooked teeth?
Crooked teeth can definitely be fixed with cosmetic dentistry. It may involve doing some type of orthodontic appliance and moving teeth to the right place, or it may not involve this, just going straight to veneers and crowns. A prosthodontist can usually look into it by checking the different alternatives and come up with a good solution. Again, there are multiple ways of getting to the same results. Sometimes it's a time issue, how much time we have, if you want it sooner or later, and sometimes it's finances, and sometimes it's just what the patient wants to have. So it's something that has to be checked in the office, which treatment is good for you. But definitely, crooked teeth can be fixed with cosmetic dentistry.
How old should a kid be to consider cosmetic dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry procedures can be done at the younger stages of life. We speak about ages 10, 11, and 12. But really, at any stage of life, cosmetic dentistry is really meant for adult teeth, not for baby teeth. So when the child gets adult teeth, that's when it can work.
Sometimes it's waiting time. For the most part, at these young ages, the most involved professionals are an orthodontist and a pediatric dentist, and I work with those specialists as my team. Once the child matures toward the stage where the child really stops growing, and that can be checked medically, we know approximately when the child stops growing, and that's usually at the age of 18 or 19, and after that is when we can consider more permanent solutions for teeth, because we know not much is going to change afterward. Cosmetic dentistry can work with young children, yes, at times where there's no other solution, and we have to provide teeth, then the answer is yes. In terms of age, there is really no problem. It can be addressed at any stage of life. So age is not a problem here.
Is it possible for someone to be not well enough for cosmetic dentistry?
Yes, there are different medical conditions that will prevent a person from doing cosmetic dentistry. Our first goal is to make sure that the person is healthy and is able to go through a dental procedure. We have priorities. If your health comes first, which it does, cosmetic dentistry will come second. Sometimes, sitting in a dental chair is very difficult for certain conditions. People who need to go through heart surgeries, people who have autoimmune disease, and people who are undergoing chemotherapy and whose immune system is not well. All of these things have to be checked before we are looking into cosmetic dentistry. The ideal way to find out is really to see your dentist, go through all the medical health questionnaire, and then decide whether cosmetic dentistry is the right path for you.
What conditions can be fixed with cosmetic dentistry?
Different conditions can be fixed with cosmetic dentistry. Crooked teeth, not aligned teeth, stained teeth, dark teeth that cannot really be fixed with whitening because the stain is so deep inside the tooth. Broken teeth, not aesthetically pleasing teeth. A gummy smile, that's also a big one. People come with a gummy smile, and they don't think there is a solution for them. They are looking, or they stop looking for a solution, and there is a solution.
There are quite a few solutions. They are more specific, but as I
Can cosmetic dentistry change the structure of your mouth?
Cosmetic dentistry can change the structure of your mouth. It can bring you into a healthier mouth. It can improve your bite, give you a better bite, more even on both sides, more teeth. It can provide a healthier environment for your teeth. So if there are any bad smells and odors, they will go away hopefully, right, with good oral hygiene. Also, if true rehabilitation happens and you get more teeth, then there is better chewing function. And with better chewing, there is a better diet and therefore better consumption of food and vitamins, and therefore better systemic health overall.
What are the advantages and benefits of cosmetic dentistry?
The advantages and benefits of cosmetic dentistry, there are a few. First of all is higher self-esteem and confidence for a person. You can smile, people can see your teeth, and it just changes the whole mood of a person. Number two is diet improvement. You have more teeth, healthier teeth, a healthier bite. Then you can chew better, have a healthier diet, and as a result improve your systemic health. Number three, all of a sudden you become more social because of this.
What should you expect from cosmetic dentistry treatment?
It depends which path of cosmetic dentistry you are going to go through, and that will determine what to expect, how long the treatment is, and which type of treatment. So if it's just whitening, it's a different treatment. If it's tooth movement by orthodontics, that takes a different length of time. There's really not one answer for it. It really depends on the treatment.
How do you choose a dentist for cosmetic dentistry?
When choosing a dentist for cosmetic dentistry, consider a few things. Consider recommendations that came to you from your friends or previous doctors. Sometimes it comes by referrals. Also, reading reviews on Google can also help. In general, referrals and recommendations will be my biggest.
Is cosmetic dentistry painful?
In dentistry nowadays, with all the developments, really nothing should be painful in the dental procedure except the local anesthesia. Once the local anesthesia takes hold, then there is really no pain involved.
How long is recovery from a cosmetic dental procedure?
Recovery from a cosmetic dental procedure is not long. It could be anywhere between just a day or two to a week or two. It really depends on the extent of cosmetic dentistry that was done, but the recovery is pretty quick.
What anesthesia is available during cosmetic dentistry?
The most important anesthesia available during cosmetic dentistry is local anesthesia, where a local anesthetic is placed next to the tooth, and it puts the tooth to sleep or the area to sleep, and this should be enough for the most part.
Sometimes if a patient is a little bit anxious and there's some anxiety involved, there are also anti-anxiety medications that can decrease the anxiety. If the patient requires sedation and sleep dentistry, then we can look into sleep dentistry, and some places do provide sleep dentistry. I do not provide sleep dentistry, so I don't know what to speak about.
Why is it important to follow directions after cosmetic dentistry?
Following specific directions after doing cosmetic dentistry is important. First of all, because of the time and money invested into this type of treatment, to get longer-lasting solutions, you will have to follow the instructions that the dental office provides you with. Some of these instructions are: if you get a night guard, wear it on a regular basis. If you get an appliance that's supposed to keep your teeth from further movement, you have to use it as instructed. Oral hygiene is the biggest one. Any dental work will last as long as oral hygiene is good. So follow the oral hygiene instructions as specified by your dentist. It means brushing and flossing regularly and seeing your dentist for regular maintenance appointments.
Is cosmetic dentistry covered by insurance?
For the most part, it's not covered by insurance. Some insurances do cover it, but the coverage is usually minimal and doesn't cover most of the treatments. So there are always some out-of-pocket expenses involved.
Are financing options available for cosmetic dentistry?
If the insurance doesn't cover the expenses for cosmetic dentistry, there are financing options available, and these really depend on your credit score and on what terms they are giving to you at the dental office, but financing options are available for sure.
How do you discuss cosmetic dentistry with your office?
To discuss cosmetic dentistry, you will have to schedule an appointment.
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