Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures

The definition of cosmetic is a treatment intended to improve or restore a person’ s appearance. That is exactly what the specialty branch of cosmetic dentistry in maple grove mn if focused on. There are ten different specialties in the dental industry and cosmetic dentistry focuses on and improves the patient’s mouth, teeth and smile. A smile has been documented as a mood booster and has been proven to even add seven years to your life expectancy because it influences and improves your immune system. A smile has proven to make 88% more people feel good about themselves and another 92% say that a very simple smile can brighten their day.

A great smile plays a crucial part when it comes to the quality of your life. It is the foundation for your personality and drives your self-confidence and self-esteem. If you are not happy with your smile all of these basic functions suffer. Cosmetic dentistry addresses cosmetic faults such as stained teeth, discolored teeth, worn down teeth, broken, chipped or cracked teeth, misshaped teeth as well as gum issues. Cosmetic dentistry offers a smile makeover. The most common procedures are:

Teeth Whitening

A very simple and basic procedure that everyone can benefit from. With either an over the counter kit to perform the tasks at home or having it done professionally in the dental office, teeth whitening will do wonders in removing coffee stains, red wine stains and tobacco discoloring as examples. The at home process might take months, the procedure in the office can be done in one visit.

Dental Bonding

A quick way to repair a damaged tooth, dental bonding is a tooth-colored putty like resin applied to the tooth. The durable plastic like material can be sculpted, smoothed and shaped and then hardened to give the tooth a new look.

Dental Veneers

Instead of a resin applied to the tooth or multiple teeth, now wafer-thin pieces of custom fabricated porcelain are applied to the front surface of the tooth giving it a brand-new surface. Starting with an impression of the teeth the veneers are made in a dental lab to look exactly like the tooth being covered. Then a thin layer of enamel is removed to accommodate the new shell.

Inlays and Onlays

Much like a filling this cosmetic dentistry procedure will be used most often in the center of a tooth to cover removed decay. It preserves the health of the tooth as well as the appearance.

Dental Crowns

Unlike veneers or dental bonding, a crown is more like a cap covering the entire tooth. This procedure, even though often done to benefit the health of the tooth, is also considered a cosmetic procedure.

Dental Implants

The best tooth replacement solution available, the dentist surgically places a titanium post in the jawbone. Acting much like a root, the post will fuse to the bone. After an extension or abutment is placed on the post to get it to the gumline, an artificial crown is placed on the abutment and you cannot tell it from the natural teeth around it.

All of these procedures are about the quality of the smile, and the quality of life that follows.

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