Standard Cosmetic Dental Services to Improve Your Smile

If you suffer from crooked, damaged, or discolored teeth, cosmetic dental services may be able to help. Bright, straight teeth can boost your confidence and make you more willing to share your smile with the world.

Dentists offer various cosmetic dental services, so there are plenty of options available depending on your budget and what is suitable for your mouth. It is worth your time to research your options and speak to your dentist.

Standard cosmetic dental services that can enhance your smile

Many patients are considering treatment that can straighten their smile. Here are eight common services available and the basics of each procedure.

1. Teeth whitening

Teeth whitening or bleaching is a cosmetic dental service that can brighten a patient’s smile. It is not available for everyone, however, so some patients may consider getting veneers instead.

2. Veneers

Veneers are thin, custom-made shells fabricated from porcelain or composite resin that are bonded to the fronts of patient’s teeth. While costly, veneers can treat slightly crooked teeth, discoloration, chips, or small gaps. Veneers last about 10 years.

3. Tooth bonding

Bonding is one of the easiest and least expensive cosmetic dental services available. Dentists can bond a tooth-colored composite resin to a stained, broken, or chipped tooth. This procedure can also protect tooth roots exposed by receding gums.

4. Indirect fillings

Also known as inlays and onlays, indirect fillings can serve as a replacement for traditional fillings. After a dental lab fabricates the indirect filling from a mold of the patient’s tooth, the dentist will fit and bond it into place. It is an alternative to a crown that can preserve as much of the remaining healthy tooth as possible.

5. Dental implants

Implants are made from titanium and surgically placed into the patient’s jawbone. Designed to replace missing teeth, implants act as the tooth roots and anchor artificial teeth like crowns, bridges, or dentures.

6. Dental crowns

A crown is a custom-made cap that a dentist will fit over a patient’s whole tooth. Crowns are fabricated from acrylic or porcelain, then bonded to metal to increase their durability. They can treat teeth with poor shape, decay, breakage, chips, or small gaps.

7. Tooth shaping

Tooth shaping is a quick and painless procedure wherein the dentist reshapes a tooth by filing off some of the enamel. It is also known as enamel shaping or contouring.

8. Bite/teeth straightening treatment

Orthodontic treatments, such as clear aligners or braces, can address crooked teeth, gaps, or an awkward bite. These treatments will slowly straighten a patient’s smile over time.