What is Cosmetic Dentistry

The interesting thing about cosmetic dentistry is that it is rarely just cosmetic. A full set of strong teeth is not only attractive but helps a person eat and speak properly, which are the main functions of the teeth. Still, there are some dental procedures that are mostly done to enhance the person’s smile and correct teeth that are crooked, crowded, chipped, discolored or missing.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are artificial crowns that replace a damaged or missing tooth. The procedure usually takes some months to complete, since the dentist implants a post into the patient’s jaw. This post is usually titanium or zirconium, both bio-compatible metals that fuse well to bone tissue. The post is covered with the patient’s gum tissue and allowed to fuse over several weeks. After this has been achieved, the dentist opens up the gum, places an abutment on the post and places an artificial crown on the abutment. Though the crown can be made of metal, crowns that replace front teeth are often made of porcelain made to be an exact match of the patient’s natural teeth.

Some dentists implant the post and the crown or several crowns at the same time, which is called immediate loading. Both traditional dental implants and immediate loading require that the patient take special care of their teeth as the post fuses with the bone. This includes very careful dental hygiene, avoidance of certain foods and taking antibiotics prescribed by the dentist. Not following instructions can lead to the failure of the implants.

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are very thin porcelain shells that are applied to damaged or unsightly teeth. During this treatment, the dentist removes a very thin layer of enamel from the tooth. The thickness, which is about half a millimeter, matches the thickness of the veneer. The veneer itself is custom made in a dental lab. When it is ready to be placed on the tooth, the dentist abrades the tooth to make sure that the veneer has a firm grip, then binds the veneer to the prepared tooth with dental cement. The dental cement is then cured with a special light.

Teeth Whitening

This is probably the most purely cosmetic dental procedure. The color of a person’s otherwise healthy teeth depends largely on their genetics, and strong teeth are not necessarily blindingly white. However, people who opt for teeth whitening often have unattractive staining on their teeth due to smoking, their consumption of tea, coffee or red wine or the fact that they just don’t take good enough care of their teeth.

Though teeth whitening can be done at home, the best way to whiten teeth is to let the dentist do it. There are two basic types of tooth whitening. One whitens a tooth that still has a nerve and the other a tooth whose nerve has been removed thanks to root canal therapy. In the former, the dentist applies a gel to the tooth that is then cured with a laser or a special light, much like dental cement. This is a multi-step process, and most patients need to visit the dentist more than once.

If the tooth does not have a nerve, the dentist applies a bleaching agent inside the tooth

If the patient opts to whiten their teeth at home, the dentist makes impressions of their mouth and has a mouthpiece made for them. Gel is placed inside the mouthpiece, and the patient wears it for a few hours every day for as long as a month.

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Why Do Regular Dental Visits Matter?

Right now, you might not pay too much attention to your dental health. When an issue comes into fruition, for example, you may quickly head over to the emergency dental clinic in your neighborhood. While it’s good that you at least take initiative in these serious situations, you don’t want to reserve all of your dental appointments for emergencies. Visiting dentists on a regular basis is important too for multiple reasons.

Thorough Cleanings

Even if you brush, floss and rinse with mouthwash for the appropriate amount of time and proper number of times each day at home, you aren’t necessarily giving your mouth the deep clean that it needs. Starting to go to a dentist on a regular basis means that you’re taking stronger steps to clean your teeth. This practice is important for both health and aesthetic reasons. An expert in dentistry can also help you to learn how to brush better at home. The methods that you were taught as a child might not be the best ones to amplify your dental health as an adult.

Early Warnings

You probably know that seeing the signs of disease early is important when it comes to the health of your whole body, and the same is true for your teeth. By scheduling appointments with a professional in dentistry on a regular basis, you increase the odds that you’ll learn of potential issues early on. If you go to the dentist only when the situation is serious, you may discover that it is too late to repair the issue. You may already have a major disease, and you might need to have the teeth pulled.

Preventative Measures

Speaking with dental professionals about ways to keep your mouth healthy is also only possible if you actually schedule and go to these appointments. For example, you may not have signs of a disease yet, but these experts could let you know about conditions that you are predisposed to. Then, you can start to monitor yourself at home for signs of these conditions and update the professionals when you go for your appointments.

Family-history and History Review

You may not knows the ways in which your family history and your own dental history could affect the health of your teeth down the road. It’s possible that you had an injury as a child that hurt one or more of your teeth. At the time, less could have been known about that level of impact and the long-term effects. By returning the dental professionals now, however, you can learn more about your own health, which is always an empowering experience.

Building Rapport

If you are just jumping from one dental clinic to the next, you aren’t allowing for rapport to develop. As a result, you may frequently feel uncomfortable asking questions when you have your appointments. Regular appointments at the same practice can help to reduce these feelings. The experts there will get to know you and your situation. You won’t have to constantly reiterate the same information to a new dental practitioner, and you can have greater confidence in asking your questions.

Finding Resources

At some points, you may learn that you need to schedule an appointment at a specific type of dental office. However, if you aren’t going for regular appointments, then these recommendations may never come. For example, your regular dental practitioner may recognize that you need to begin going to an orthodontist, or you might want a recommendation for a pediatric professional for your children.

Regular dental visits are seriously important. When you don’t have these appointments, you’re putting your health in jeopardy.

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What Can I Expect During a Dental Checkup?

A Healthy Trip to the Dentist

After finally setting up an appointment with a dentist, many people begin to wonder what they can expect at their dental checkup. A lot of people feel anxiety over this because of the rumors and myths about how scary going to the dentist can be. In reality, there is nothing to fear about getting a dental check up!

Upon arrival at the dental clinic, the person getting the examination must check in just like at any other doctor’s office. When they are ready for the patient, the patient will be called back to an exam room. In the exam room, the doctor or hygienist will get the patient’s medical history by asking a series of questions.

After the patient’s medical history has been recorded, the hygienist may check the gums in order to find signs of disease by looking for redness, swelling, or unusual pockets in the gums. This is done with the metal probe that has a mirror on the end. Following this, the patient’s general oral area is checked more carefully.

The dentist will check to see how the top and bottom teeth come together. Along with other potential problems, this helps the doctor determine if the patient grinds his or her teeth. The doctor will examine the mouth for even more evidence of grinding or other dental issues, such as cavities. The doctor will also check on the patient’s temporomandibular joint, the joint that holds the lower part of the jaw to the skull, for problems.

The doctor must also check for signs of oral cancer, which becomes increasingly important the older the patient gets. In this portion of the exam, the doctor will check the neck, lymph nodes, and hard palate. The doctor should also check the more fragile soft tissues of the mouth, like the tongue and lips. Detecting oral cancer early helps reduce the overall damage done, so it is important the doctor checks for it at every checkup. If the doctor finds evidence of a problem, he or she may do other tests to diagnose the patient. This could include something like an X-ray.

Another important part of a dental checkup is the cleaning. During the cleaning, the hygienist uses a scaler to remove tartar and plaque from the gum lines. Sometimes an ultrasonic vibrator is used in place of the scaler to get rid of tartar and plaque. The hygienist will then use water to rinse out the mouth. At the end of the cleaning, the hygienist uses a slightly abrasive polish to smooth the teeth, so it is harder for the tartar and plaque to build up in between cleanings.

During a dental exam, many patients gag when the doctor accidentally touches the soft palate. The gag reflex is made worse by fear. While the doctor is likely used to people gagging, there are a few things the patient can do to prevent a strong reflex. Some people find hypnosis or other methods similar to it helpful in relaxing prior to the appointment. Other people just take breaths through the nose while avoiding swallowing saliva.

Dental checkups are an extremely important part of everyone’s health. Not only can a dental checkup keep a person’s smile looking good, but it also can help find early signs of other more serious diseases that affect more than the mouth. For most people, two dental examinations a year are sufficient, but there are some people who have to visit more often due to other issues. Dental clinic visits are an important part of a healthy life.

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