What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry is a specialty within dentistry that concentrates on improving the looks of a patient’s teeth and smile. Porcelain veneers and teeth whitening are example of services a cosmetic dentist can provide.

Is Cosmetic Dentistry an Actual Specialty?

While cosmetic dentistry is not an official specialty, cosmetic dentists have had their own academy since 1984. Dr. Jeff Morley, Dr. Jack Kammer and some like-minded colleagues established the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). It now has 6000 members from 70 countries and is now the largest cosmetic dentistry organization in the world.

What Kinds of Services Can a Cosmetic Dentist Provide?

Professional teeth whitening is probably the most common and popular service provided by a cosmetic dentist. Various studies have shown professional teeth whitening is both safer and more effective than the various home remedies.

Patients have the option of either getting their teeth whitened in the office or taking a kit home. Both types of professional whitening involve using a gel laced with peroxide that breaks down stains and whitens teeth. The gel used for the in-office procedure is stronger than that used in the kit. An in-office tooth whitening procedure can lighten a patient’s teeth by several shades. It also has the advantage of being very safe, for the dentist is monitoring the process.

Cosmetic dentists can also replace missing teeth or repair damaged teeth. To this end, a cosmetic dentist can use dental implants, crowns, bridges, dentures or veneers. All of these can be used to replace teeth, repair teeth, elongate teeth or reshape teeth.

What is the Difference Between Dentures, Dental Implants and Bridges?

All of these devices are used to replace missing teeth. Implants can replace single missing teeth, while the other two replace multiple missing teeth. Dentures are worn by people who lost most or all of their teeth, while bridges are used by people missing a row of teeth.

A big problem with having a lot of missing teeth is that both jawbones and gums become weaker; they need tooth roots to stay healthy and strong. Consequently, people who have lost a lot of teeth risk receding gums, bone loss and even alteration of their face’s shape.

Traditional bridges also have artificial teeth that merely sit on top of the gum. The dentist will use the natural teeth adjacent to the gap as anchors for the bridge. They will put crowns on these teeth, and the bridge will be attached to the crowns. More modern bridges use implants that act like tooth roots and thus prevent receding gums and bone loss.

Dental implants are titanium rods with artificial teeth attached to them. Over a months-long process called “osseointegration,” the rod fuses with the jawbone like a real tooth root. Dental implants can be used to replace single teeth, or they can be used as anchors for bridges or dentures.

Contact Us Today

If you want to find out more about cosmetic dentistry, visit Implant & Comprehensive Dentistry. Having a healthy, bright, and beautiful smile will allow you to smile with confidence. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at one of our offices in Champions Gate or Winter Haven. We want to give you the smile you deserve.