Cosmetic dentistry is a word used by dental professionals describing dental procedures to enhance the appearance of your teeth but not your health. Cosmetic dental procedures are elective and generally non-essential. However, they can offer many benefits, including maintaining excellent dental hygiene easier, improving the patient’s self-confidence, and even reducing bruxism.
The College of dental surgeons, British Columbia, doesn’t recognize cosmetic dentistry as a specialty. However, many dental professionals call themselves cosmetic dentists or specialists in the field because they acquire specialty training in one or more areas of dental treatments recognized as a specialty and considered a cosmetic but non-essential procedure.
Cosmetic dentists offer different types of dental treatments aiming to enhance the appearance of your teeth and smile. Some of the most common are teeth whitening, dental veneers, dental crowns and bridges, dental implants, oral appliances to inhibit teeth grinding, and orthodontic treatments for teeth straightening.
Some of the treatments mentioned above may appear non-essential. Still, if you are affected by the problem of bruxism, you benefit by visiting an experienced cosmetic dentist who develops a customized nightguard for you to wear over your teeth. The dental appliance helps keep your teeth apart, preventing them from contacting each other when you sleep.
If you need teeth straightening treatments but are not in favor of orthodontic braces, cosmetic dentistry offers you an alternative with clear aligners to achieve your goal of having straighter teeth and a beautiful smile. However, the aligners are not suitable if you have complicated issues of malocclusion and other issues.
Perhaps the most significant benefit offered by cosmetic dentistry is replacing lost teeth with dental implants or bridges. These procedures are invasive and require multiple appointments with the cosmetic dentist until you can have artificial teeth in your mouth eventually.
A significant risk you must overcome before you visit any cosmetic dentistry clinic is to verify the credentials of the dental professional. The increasing demand for cosmetic dentistry treatments has encouraged many unqualified professionals to begin offering various treatments merely to benefit from the rising demand financially.
Some cosmetic dentistry treatments like teeth whitening and Botox are even offered by beauty salons, who usually don’t have any qualified professionals engaged with them. If you need any cosmetic dentistry procedure, the best option is to contact a reputed dental clinic that can fully authenticate its credentials and stay away from the rest. Any laxity on your part can potentially make you liable to seek more dental treatments from regular dentists merely because you overlooked the risks of cosmetic dentistry.
Unlike earlier, cosmetic dentistry was the exclusive domain of the rich and famous competition among dentists, now making cosmetic dentistry costs more affordable than before. If you are looking to enhance the appearance of your smile using dental veneers, you no longer have a single option with the expensive porcelain veneers. You can discuss with your dentist about alternatives confidently because dentists now offer affordable composite resin veneers and other varieties costing fewer dollars than porcelain veneers.
Dentists have considered the higher costs of cosmetic dentistry as a deterrent for many people seeking the treatments. If you cannot afford the treatment, you can inquire about payment plans and benefit from them by making monthly payments instead of a lump sum investment in the treatment.
Experienced dentists accomplish many cosmetic dentistry treatments in one visit to the dentist’s office. A process like teeth whitening may require multiple visits if you have stubborn stains on your teeth. Replacing teeth requires numerous appointments, and so does straightening teeth. Most other cosmetic dentistry procedures require more than one visit to the dentist’s office unless you seek a treatment like dental bonding to correct minor defects with your teeth.
Dental treatments of any kind have a lifespan, but whether they last the duration or not depends on how well you care for your dental hygiene and visit your dentist regularly for cleanings and exams. Teeth whitening treatments last for six months to three years, while dental implants remain with you for your lifetime. However, there is a rider stating that excellent dental hygiene is essential to prolong the duration of cosmetic dentistry treatments. Therefore it helps if you understand cosmetic dentistry merely helps you to enhance the appearance of your teeth and smile but maintaining it is entirely your responsibility.