What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is a really common term that's heard nowadays in dental circles as well as just in the general public. Here at Crown Dentistry, we believe that cosmetic dentistry is any dental procedure or topic that will basically restore a patient's mouth and teeth to the most ideal state, meaning we want the color, the shape, the size, and the position of the teeth to be exactly where they're supposed to be. This can include a number of procedures including orthodontics, which we would use to straighten the teeth, or restorative dentistry, which would also include fillings, crowns, or veneers. There are many procedures that fall under this category of cosmetic dentistry.
Is Cosmetic Dentistry Right for You?
This is a very common question that we get about people wondering if cosmetic dentistry is right for their family. The best way for us to determine if that is the case is to have you come in for an exam so that we can take a look at everything that's going on in your mouth and give you an assessment after that.
Cosmetic Dentistry vs. General Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry is a very popular term that's used by a lot of people nowadays. You can also hear general dentistry. I would say that cosmetic dental procedures fall under the broader umbrella of general dentistry. General dentistry is just a term that's used to pretty much describe all aspects of dentistry. So cosmetic dentistry is bringing a person's mouth and teeth back to their ideal state. That means that the position is right, the shape is right, and the color is right.
Restorative dentistry is anything that's done to add something to your teeth, whether through the use of fillings or crowns or veneers. Restorative dentistry has aspects that fall under the umbrella of cosmetic dentistry.
How Can Cosmetic Dentistry Help You?
There are many ways that cosmetic dentistry can help you. A lot of it depends on the state of a person's mouth. Maybe there are some broken teeth, or maybe some teeth are out of position. There are procedures that can help people through cosmetic dentistry, either by moving the teeth into the right position or by adding fillings or crowns to get the teeth into the right position and shape.
What Issues Can Be Addressed With Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is an excellent way to improve a patient's smile. Say, for example, someone's teeth are too small or they're out of position. Cosmetic dentistry can be used to put them back into the right position or to move them around so that they're where they're supposed to be. One of the most common problems that people have with their mouth is an overbite. That means that either the top jaw or the bottom jaw is out of position relative to the opposing teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can definitely correct this problem. Many patients come to us with teeth that are crooked, rotated, or just generally out of position. Cosmetic dentistry can fix this through the use of orthodontics or through the placement of fillings, crowns, or veneers.
Age and Suitability for Cosmetic Dentistry
A lot of patients ask how old a patient has to be before they consider cosmetic dentistry. My answer for that is basically it's a case-by-case basis. For some patients, it's appropriate, and for others, it’s not. A lot of it depends on the individual patient. We believe that as long as dentistry is safe and healthy for the patient, then cosmetic dentistry is right for them. Cosmetic dentistry may be right for young children. A lot of it depends on the individual patient. Sometimes laughing gas or nitrous oxide is enough to calm a patient down so that we can work on their teeth. Sometimes more substantial methods are needed, such as sedation. If more sedation is needed in order to calm a patient down, a lot of times we will refer a patient to a pediatric dentist. We believe here at Crown Dentistry that if a patient is well enough to come into our office and have dental work done, then cosmetic dentistry is appropriate for them.
Here at Crown Dentistry, we believe that healthy teeth are beautiful teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can help us achieve that goal. Whether it's teeth that are out of position or teeth that are the wrong color or the wrong shape or size, we believe that cosmetic dentistry can offer many options to help us achieve the goal of giving a patient a beautiful smile.
Procedures Under Cosmetic Dentistry
Sometimes patients come to us with teeth that are too small, too big, turned the wrong way, perhaps positioned the wrong way. Cosmetic dentistry can give us many options to bring their teeth into an ideal position, shape, and size, either through Invisalign and orthodontics or through the placement of fillings, tooth-colored fillings, crowns, or veneers. Sometimes cosmetic dentistry may include the removal of teeth and/or the reshaping of a patient's gums and/or bone. In this case, those procedures would fall under the category of oral surgery. Some of the procedures that we do can be done at Crown Dentistry, but for other cosmetic dental procedures, we will partner with a specialist to get them taken care of.
Cosmetic dentistry can give a patient their smile back. Cosmetic dentistry can make a patient have a beautiful smile when previously they didn't have one. Cosmetic dentistry can also improve a patient's bite, allowing them to eat and chew without any pain or discomfort.
There are several procedures that fall under the umbrella of cosmetic dentistry. Some of them, such as Invisalign and orthodontics, are several-month procedures. Many involve taking impressions and placing trays in the patient's mouth. Other procedures under the umbrella of cosmetic dentistry involve placing fillings and/or crowns. These usually tend to take anywhere between 30 minutes and several hours. A lot of them involve local anesthesia and/or the use of nitrous oxide, laughing gas, or conscious sedation.
Prioritizing Comfort
At Crown Dentistry, we believe that communication and trust are key. We try our best to have excellent communication with our patients and to make sure that they understand everything that's going on before any procedure is done. We also do our best to make our patients as comfortable as possible. With almost all of our patients, we use local anesthesia. At times, laughing gas and nitrous oxide are also used to make the patients feel more comfortable. Some patients also elect to have conscious sedation done. All of these procedures are done to maximize the comfort of our patients.
Recovery and Aftercare
There are many different cosmetic dental procedures that can be done to help a patient restore their smile. Sometimes the recovery period for these procedures is only a couple of hours. Sometimes it's a few days; other times it may be a week or two. A lot of it depends on the individual procedure, and there are many to choose from. After a cosmetic dental procedure, we always tell our patients to get some rest, to go home, and to drink a lot of water. If necessary, they may take some over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or Tylenol. At times, if a patient also needs it, we may give them a prescription for opioids such as Norco or antibiotics such as amoxicillin or clindamycin. Some of these procedures may be covered by insurance, while others may not. Our front office staff is well trained and knowledgeable about these procedures and whether or not they are covered by insurance. We also have financing options available such as Care Credit.
Schedule an Appointment
If you're ready to take action or if you have any more questions about this topic, please feel free to call our office at (916) 848-2145. We're here to help.
A Great Smile Can Go a Long Way
Your mouth should be healthy and look great! The way your smile looks affects the way other people see you, your first impressions, and even the success of your career. Numerous studies have been shown to indicate that the more someone smiles, and the more beautiful their smile is, the more other people want to be around them, and the greater their chance is to receive job assignments or even promotions.
Not only do we implement cosmetic treatment into our routine care services, but we also tailor care that is strictly cosmetic in nature. Doing so allows us to improve the way our patients look and boost their self-esteem.
Full Mouth Restoration Services
Sacramento & Woodland
Aging restorations, missing or broken teeth, and tooth decay can enlist the need of many restorative steps to return the mouth to a disease free state. A full mouth restorative case assesses the needs of the entire mouth, tooth by tooth, and gives the patients options to combine different types of treatments to make their entire mouth healthy once again.
Invisalign Clear Aligners
Sacramento & Woodland
Our Sacramento dental office is proud to be a Certified provider of Invisalign and Invisalign Teen… the world’s most advanced clear aligners. With these clear dental aligners, we can easily correct crowded teeth, overbites, underbites, crossbites, gapped teeth, or generally straighten out a crooked smile discreetly and in substantially less time than traditional braces.
Teeth Recountouring Treatment
Sacramento & Woodland
Misshapen teeth or irregular edges can create a dramatic impact on the appearance of a smile, but they don’t necessarily have to be hard to correct. Smoothing uneven edges or correcting small chips in the teeth can create a uniform smile that looks straighter and healthier.
Dental Bonding Treatment
Sacramento & Woodland
Bonding is useful for closing small gaps, repairing broken edges of teeth, or even covering up small irregularities in tooth enamel, such as exposed root surfaces. The material is matched to the shade of the enamel, allowing it to blend in and look like a normal part of the tooth.
Smile Teeth Whitening Treatment
Sacramento & Woodland
Tea, coffee, sodas, wine, or tobacco products are all classic examples of things that can cause our smiles to darken over time. Porous enamel can harbor so much stain that the teeth begin to appear aged. We offer in-office ZOOM! Whitening as well as customized take-home whitening treatments; all of which remove years worth of stain and make smiles appear several shades lighter.
Porcelain Dental Veneers
Sacramento & Woodland
Dental veneers correct the appearance of crowded, uneven, misshapen, or irregularly sized teeth. Each porcelain veneer is placed over the front of the natural tooth, creating the illusion of a brand new, functional tooth. Several veneers placed at a time can provide some of the most dramatic cosmetic changes possible.