subject: Getting The Perfect Smile Through Cosmetic Surgery [print this page] There is a lot more pressure these days to have a perfect smile, as the media is full of images of people with perfect teeth. However most of them weren't born this way, and will have required at least a little bit of work to perfect their pearly whites. Cosmetic surgery covers a huge range of dental work, and some dental treatments can be regarded as being both restorative and cosmetic. The most popular dental work for perfecting a smile includes having veneers fitted, having white fillings, getting new crowns, and of course having teeth whitened.
Choosing the Best Dentist for Cosmetic Surgery
Anyone contemplating cosmetic surgery to perfect their teeth should choose their dentist very carefully. All dentists are referred to as being a D.D.S. (doctor of dental surgery), but some have chosen to specialize in cosmetic surgery. It is well worth asking a lot of questions and asking to see before and after photos or testimonials from satisfied patients. It's essential to pick a dentist who is willing to answer all questions, and all dentists should provide a written plan detailing the costs of each individual treatment involved in a smile makeover.
Getting Veneers to Perfect a Smile
Dental veneers are one of the most popular methods of perfecting a smile, and are an excellent way of hiding minor imperfections. They can be used to mask tiny chips or cracks in teeth, or they can modify the shape and size of teeth and can even hide discolorations. Veneers can be fitted on the front teeth, including cuspids, but can also be fitted to bicuspids and even molars. Veneers are also very good for straightening out slightly crooked teeth. In cases where a lot of veneers are being fitted on all the front teeth they can be used to completely change the colour. Most veneers require a small amount of tooth structure to be removed as the average veneer is between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm in thickness. They are incredibly thin but once cemented into place should last a considerable number of years before needing replacing. Some types of veneers require no healthy tooth structure to be removed, and it might be worth asking your dentist if you are suitable for these types of veneers. It is always worthwhile trying to preserve as much healthy tooth structure as you can, as once removed it is lost forever.
Using Dental Crowns to Get a Better Smile
Dental crowns can also significantly improve a person's smile, and modern dental technology uses very sophisticated materials that can look incredibly lifelike. Crowns used for cosmetic surgery are most likely to be tooth coloured, and can be made out of porcelain fused to a metal substructure, or can be entirely made out of porcelain, or they may have a substructure made out of a material called zirconia. The advantage of having all ceramic crowns is that they allow the light to be transmitted through in a way that is very similar to natural teeth. Porcelain fused metal crowns still give a good result, but can sometimes look a little opaque due to the porcelain used to mask the colour of the metal.
