Reveal Your Best Smile: The Role of a Cosmetic Dentist

A cosmetic dentist works to help patients achieve their best smiles, regardless of their starting point. Some people feel self-conscious due to the shade of their teeth, while others have gummy smiles or small chips that can make them unwilling to grin in the presence of others. Cosmetic dentists offer various treatments that target how the teeth look without compromising their function. If you are not confident about your smile, a cosmetic dentist can help!

What a cosmetic dentist can do

Cosmetic dentists have many tricks for reimagining a smile. Some treatments only change the appearance of the dentition, while others adjust the location of the gums and teeth.

Tooth whitening treatments

Perhaps the most common treatment that a cosmetic dentist performs, tooth whitening helps remove stains and brighten teeth by multiple shades in a single appointment. In-office whitening relies on specialized lights and gels that cannot be purchased over the counter.

Alternatively, cosmetic dentists can help patients acquire the tools to do whitening at home. They will take a customized mold of the patient’s teeth to craft a tray that they can wear at their convenience. This tends to be more effective than an OTC tray because it fits the wearer’s teeth properly.

Veneers and bonding

When a person is suffering from damage to one or more teeth that cannot be removed with whitening, such as chips, cracks, or resistant stains, they can be a good candidate for veneers or bonding. Veneers function as shells over the teeth, creating an aesthetically appealing surface. Bonding can reshape a tooth to hide cracks and other physical imperfections.

One thing to remember is that veneers usually require a bit of enamel to be removed so they fit seamlessly on the teeth instead of making them look bulky. As a result, if a person commits to veneers, they will need to keep wearing them for the rest of their lives.

Gum contouring

Some people are self-conscious about how small their teeth look due to gums that encroach farther down than what is considered normal. This is often called a “gummy” smile. A cosmetic dentist can remove the excess gum tissue to create a symmetrical and visually pleasing grin. The gum tissue will need time to heal, but the excess tissue will not regrow, so the treatment is permanent.

Alignment readjustment

In certain cases, a cosmetic dentist can assist with minor alignment and crookedness concerns. Veneers and bonding can address visual defects with straight teeth, such as by closing gaps between teeth. In other instances, a cosmetic dentist can help patients explore their options for aligner trays to straighten their smile.