Your smile is one of the first things people notice when they look at you, so it is only natural to want teeth that look great. Fortunately, dental restorations can offer your teeth a better look and better feel. The main goal of a cosmetic dentist is to improve your overall smile and self-esteem. To achieve this and fix damaged teeth, a cosmetic dentist may recommend certain restorations.
To better understand why cosmetic dentists recommend or require specific procedures, it helps to understand the relationship between restorative practices and cosmetic dentists.
Cosmetic dentists focus on the appearance of teeth rather than dental health and structural integrity; however, dentists cannot perform many cosmetic procedures until a patient has undergone restorative work. For example, a patient with a damaged or missing tooth likely needs to get a crown before obtaining a cosmetic fix such as veneers. The crown may also enhance the patient's appearance, but this is a perk rather than a priority.
Restorative dental procedures aim to improve a patient's overall gum and tooth health. If a tooth is dead or diseased, your dentist may need to protect or extract it. Protections may improve the look of a patient's smile, but their primary purpose is to keep harmful germs and bacteria away from the impaired tooth.
Nevertheless, it is difficult for cosmetic dentists to perform many procedures on teeth that are not sufficiently healthy or structurally sound. The result is that cosmetic dentists often recommend dental repairs as a prerequisite to more advanced cosmetic dentistry offerings.
Cosmetic dentists recommend the following repairs because of their ability to fill dual roles: improving tooth health and inching patients one step closer to picture-perfect smiles.
If you have ever had a cavity, chances are you have also gotten a filling. Dentists have been relying on fillings to plug developing cavities for decades, although the appearance of fillings has evolved dramatically. Traditional fillings are made of metal and may be visible when a patient's mouth is open. White composite fillings, however, repair cavity-damaged teeth without compromising their appearance.
Dentists use crowns to cover teeth with physical impairments such as cracks or chips. Like fillings, crowns come in several different forms, some of which look more natural than others. Crowns prevent teeth from taking additional damage or becoming unstable due to diminished integrity. Cosmetic dentists often recommend crowns as part of a comprehensive dental plan involving bridges, implants, bonds, or veneers. An additional benefit of crowns is that they cannot decay like natural teeth. It is still necessary, however, to continue with professional cleanings and exams, as the gums are still susceptible to infection and decay.
Bridges consist of a set of several crowns molded together to create one bridge of teeth. Dentists place this bridge upon a severely damaged or missing tooth and rely on the additional side crowns to secure the bridge firmly in place. Patients can choose their preferred material for the bridge, but cosmetic dentists suggest ceramic or porcelain for the most realistic appearance.
Dental implants are another restorative method commonly recommended. Like bridges, implants replace one or more missing teeth. However, implants look and function more like natural teeth. Although the use of implants does improve the appearance of someone's smile, there are functional benefits as well.
If someone does not replace missing teeth, this has a variety of negative effects over time. Without normal biting pressure, the jawbone begins to lose density. This can cause instability for the remaining teeth and result in loose, and eventually lost, teeth. The remaining teeth also move into the space left by the missing teeth, which leads to more instability and misalignments. As the jawbone continues to lose bone density, this begins to affect the facial appearance, as muscles and skin start to sag. Fortunately, dental implants prevent this cascade of events, and they prevent further bone loss.
Many cosmetic dentists recommend tooth or gum restoration as part of a holistic approach to improving both the health and appearance of your teeth. Fillings, crowns, bridges, and implants are just some of the many restorative dentistry practices that will help you get the most out of your next trip to the dentist's office. Discuss which procedures may be the most effective for your goals and needs.
Request an appointment here: http://www.hendersonfamilydentistry.com or call Henderson Family Dentistry at (903) 657-3139 for an appointment in our Henderson office.
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