Few people are not satisfied with their smiles so they directly contact the cosmetic dentist which can help them. This method requires professional oral care on improving your gums, teeth, mouth, and overall smile. It primarily focuses on the improvement of dental color, position, size, shape, alignment, and overall smile. Many dentists refer to themselves as cosmetic dentists although they do not hold specific education, training, specialty, and experience in this field.

What does a cosmetic dentist do?

A cosmetic dentist carries a variety of procedures like minor fixes and major injuries. Here are few cosmetic procedures they perform:

Teeth whitening:

Teeth whitening is one of the most common procedures as well as the least expensive procedure in the field of the cosmetic dentist. Over time, teeth get stained by food, drinks, medications, and other habits like smoking. Many people opt for teeth whitening to make their smiles better.

Teeth whitening can bleach the surface of teeth can create a brighter and whiter appearance. While toothpaste, Whitestrips, and rinse can offer the best result while professional teeth whitening can provide shade up to 5 to 8 times lighter.

Dental veneers:

Thin, white shells made from medical-grade resin, porcelain, or ceramic are dental veneers. They are custom-made for each patient and look exactly like natural teeth.

Before attaching veneers to your teeth dentist first removes some enamel from the surface of the tooth to allow the shell looks realistic to the front of the teeth. Problems like crooked teeth, gaps between teeth, and damaged enamel can be fixed by dental veneers.

Dental bonding:

In dental bonding, the moldable resin is applied to the tooth by the dentist and it is hardened by ultraviolet lights. Then it is trimmed, shaped, and polished to blend into the surface of the tooth.

Bonding can repair chips, tooth decay, cracks, and mishappen teeth. For minor issues, bonding is a more affordable option for fillings or crowns.

Dental implants:

Dental implants are used to replace teeth in case of severe tooth decay or tooth loss. The cosmetic dentist attaches a screw to the jaw to provide support. The implant is then inserted into the bone socket of the missing tooth.

Over time, bone and tissue grow to fuse with the implant, completely securing the replacement tooth inside the mouth. Once the dental implant is properly attached it should blend with surrounding teeth.

Dental crowns:

A dental crown is also known as a dental cap that fits over a damaged or decayed tooth. These crowns can keep the weakened tooth from further breakage or decay.

They are also used to cover other procedures like dental bridges, root canals, dental implants, and enamel fillings.

How to find a cosmetic dentist:

There are many criteria upon which to select a cosmetic dentist. For some patient’s its convenient and selection cost but when choosing the cheapest cosmetic dentist take some caution. Cosmetic dentistry requires more time, skills, and costs more than a general dentist.

ask for referrals:

you can directly talk to the person who has had cosmetic dentistry and can take personal referrals from your friend’s is the best way to get genuine referrals. If you know any general dentist can ask for a cosmetic dentist.

Check credentials:

Any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist. American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) provides a gold standard for credentialing dental professionals in the field of cosmetic dentistry. Those who want to seek cosmetic dentistry can seek Accreditation from AACD.

Ask for actual before-and-after photos:

Just like artist showcases their masterpiece in the gallery to get appreciation, a skilled cosmetic dentist will also perform same by showcasing it in online smile galleries. Ask the cosmetic dentist to show real people for referral to find accuracy as you can find lots of retouched photos and stock before-and-after photos.

How much time is devoted to practice:

Apart from education and hands-on training, it is important to know how many years of experience dentist has practicing cosmetic dentistry. Ask how much time is devoted to practice in cosmetic dentistry.

Take time during the consultation:

During the time of consultation don’t be in hurry and take time to clearly explain your objective. Try to listen to the dentist’s recommendation and reach to best result.

Dental care has gone to leaps and bounds but still, thousands of Americans suffer from tooth loss what an irony. This is because of tooth decay, gum diseases, and oral injury. For the last many years the only alternatives available for people are dentures and bridges. However, with so many scientific advancements, dental implants have come out to be the most popular modern technique for tooth replacement.

Dental Implant procedure:

Dental implant procedure may require a variety of specialists including a doctor who specializes in conditions of your jaw, mouth, and face (oral and maxillofacial surgeon), a periodontist specializes in treating structures that support the teeth, a prosthodontist who designs and fits artificial teeth and at times ENT specialist.

The first stage of the dental implant procedure is a complete x-ray, and 3D images taken of your teeth and jaws. Tell your doctor about any medical history and any medications you are going through. If you have any certain heart conditions your doctor may prescribe antibiotics before surgery to avoid any kind of teeth infections.

The next step is a creation of a personalized treatment plan. The plan is devised to address your teeth condition and is developed by a group of experienced and trained dental experts.

The next step is the placement of a titanium post into the socket of your bone. The jawbone starts growing around the titanium post as it heals and giving anchor to the post.

Once the dental implant is bonded, a connector post is fixed to the post for giving grip to the new projection securely. Then to create your new teeth, the dentist takes impressions of your bite. A replacement tooth made is known as Crown is fixed to the connector post.

Patients can also get attachments fixed over implant if they do not tend to place crowns individually.

The dental expert will then match the shade of your new teeth to the other teeth. Since the dental implant is attached to your jawbone you will always feel like natural teeth and function as other teeth.

can dental implants become painful?

Normally patients who undergo dental implants say it is very less discomforting as this is not during the procedure. The procedure is not at all painful as dentists use either general or local anesthesia to completely numb the area.

After the dental implant is over numbness goes off then, mild pain can be noticed. It is found that the patient rarely faces severe pain and this could be due to an improperly fitted implant or any other infection.

Patients may feel discomfort in the treated area, jaw, and face for at least ten days. Dentists prescribe antibiotics and painkillers to treat pain and swelling. On the third day from the procedure swelling and pain starts to decrease and on the 14th-day patient will not face any pain.

Teeth whitening is one of the most popular procedures followed in aesthetic dentistry. The reason being it is the simplest process Baltimore dental clinics offer nowadays. It is also a very reasonable way to brighten your teeth and spread a smile.

Reasons behind teeth discoloration:

It is seen that with age, the color of our teeth starts to darken or start appearing as yellow or stained. There can be several reasons behind this. Most common problems affecting teeth darkening or discoloration include.

Age: age can be the big factor for discoloration. As you age-old, the primary layer of your enamel starts getting slimmer making the yellowish dentin layer come out slowly.

Drinks: certain dark beverages like coffee, tea, wines, and colas that most people enjoy drinking can cause teeth staining.

Food: some foods can also discoloration in the teeth. Fruits like apples, berry contains a lot of pigment, while some dark veggies and even colorful spices like turmeric and curry can lead to discoloration.

Tobacco: Smoking or chewing tobacco can be a serious reason for teeth discoloration as tobacco contains nicotine and tar. Tar itself has black color and nicotine when it mixes up with oxygen becomes dark in color.

Poor dental hygiene: not brushing twice a day, flossing and rinsing properly to remove stain-causing substances from your teeth.

Disease: treatment for certain body conditions like chemotherapy, neck and head radiation can cause discoloration. Few infections in pregnant women can lead to discoloration in their babies by affecting enamel development.

Environment: Excessive fluoride from your environmental sources like naturally high fluoride level in water or excessive use in toothpaste, fluoride applications, and rinses.

Teeth whitening: the many choices

Teeth discoloration can at times lead to embarrassment between friends and colleagues to avoid this there are several options to whiten teeth. These options are teeth whitening performed in-office and D.I.Y. or home teeth whitening. Teeth whitening procedure performed in-office is offered by almost all dental experts. The cost of this whitening procedure depends on the procedure you choose as well as where in the country you live.

It can cost you an average of $500. The whitening procedure performed in the office involves smearing a sturdy bleaching agent over the teeth. The bleaching agent used is much stronger than what you will find in D.I.Y. home remedies. Moreover, when the procedure is performed by a professional dentist, they can protect teeth enamel, gums and etcetera from strong bleaching substance. The dental expert is highly qualified to manage any unexpected problem that may come in between or after the procedure. Teeth whitening performed in the office requires one to two hours of your time and is accomplished in only one visit.