Introducing Cosmetic Dentistry

When you use the word cosmetic it brings to mind non-essential products and services that anyone can do without or are luxuries. Unfortunately that is either not all true or is only part of the story. A good example is cosmetic dentistry which improves a person’s appearance by correcting teeth issues that are not considered urgent.

Cosmetic dentistry includes services such as teeth whitening, tooth-colour fillings, veneers, crowns, and bridges. This list represents an arsenal of dental techniques that can correct a host of problems like the following.

• Discoloured teeth

• Malformed teeth

• Broken or chipped teeth

• Crooked teeth

• Missing teeth

• Gaps in teeth

• Leaching fillings

• Tooth wear

The commonly viewed purpose of cosmetic dentistry is simply meant to improve a person’s appearance while often not considered to be as important as general dentistry. But the fact is that cosmetic dentistry can be just as important as general dentistry procedures such as fillings and cleaning teeth.

Smiling With Confidence

When you smile, the condition of your teeth can have a direct impact on how others view you. Misshapen and broken teeth, especially in the front of the mouth, are distracting to others and can detract from your appearance. You can be wearing a brand new suit or an expensive dress and what people will notice are your teeth when they are in poor condition.

That is why gapped, misshapen, or broken teeth can impact self-esteem. If you find yourself refusing to smile or hiding your mouth behind your hand when exposing the teeth then clearly the need for repairs becomes essential rather than cosmetic. The condition of your teeth can directly affect your confidence level and your ability to interact comfortably with others.

The dentist has many different techniques that can improve a smile including professional teeth whitening, veneers that are indistinguishable from your natural teeth, or crowns that restore the natural contours of the teeth.

To be honest, you can think of your smile this way: You would not think of meeting other people wearing torn and stained clothing so why would you allow teeth to remain in similar condition?

Predicting the Future of Your Teeth

Your smile is important for many reasons related to self-esteem but there are also serious health reasons why you should view cosmetic dentistry as being as important as general dentistry. Worn, chipped, or broken teeth are sure predictors of future dental problems.

Anytime something is broken, whether it’s a piece of china or a bone, there’s a general structural weakening. The same is true for teeth. Broken or chipped teeth are more susceptible to continued cracking and are less able to handle the job they were designed to do. As the tooth erodes around the chips and cracks, it can lead to serious teeth problems including cavities and severe pain from nerve damage.

A crack in a tooth can also provide a way for oral bacteria to enter your system leading to infections. Some of these infections are extremely dangerous such as infective endocarditis. Infective endocarditis is an infection that results from oral bacteria adhering to already disease weakened heart valves.

Even simple tooth wear from eating hard foods over the years or from grinding teeth in your sleep can eventually lead to future dental problems. Once enamel is worn away and the dentin is exposed teeth can quickly be destroyed leading to root canals or loss of teeth.

A Silver Lining That’s Not So Pretty

Another common problem people experience is teeth that become darkened due to silver fillings. Silver fillings do not protect the filled teeth from collecting moisture and eventually the moisture and the silver leads to tooth discoloration. Even worse is the fact that over time the moisture can cause the filling to expand and eventually lead to a cracked tooth.

Replacing the silver fillings with resin composites coloured to match your natural teeth colour restores the strength of the tooth and removes the discolouration.

If you have thought of cosmetic dentistry as a non-essential service, it’s probably time to reconsider that view and take stock of the condition of your teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can improve self-esteem, give you confidence, and prevent future dental problems.

That leads to one more reason why cosmetic dentistry is an important service. You can save a lot of money over time by preventing the need for expensive dental work in the future. Repairing the broken and chipped teeth now will enable you to smile later…with your natural teeth intact!