Vanity is not the only reason to have cosmetic work done. There are times when something is more
than cosmetic. Something that is necessary in order to live a normal life is your teeth. Teeth
impact your ability to properly chew, digest, and can affect your speech as well.
Someone who has teeth that are horribly misaligned will have great difficulty in biting into an
apple, taking a bite from a sandwich, and chewing. Improperly chewed food can cause
gastrointestinal upset, weight gain, and heartburn. These issues that come as a result of
improperly chewing food can also become medical issues later in life. TO address this issue, braces
can be worn, or retainers. These products help to align the teeth into normal bite patterns that will
help improve ability to chew. The person will also enjoy having a beautiful smile once the braces
are removed. New types of braces are made now that are invisible and some can be worn only at
night, depending on the specific issue with the mouth.
Cosmetic dentistry is a profession dedicated to correcting issues with alignment of teeth, replacing
missing teeth, adding veneers, whitening teeth to look their best, and a host of other things that
will keep your mouth healthy and looking the best that it can for many years. Implants can be
done to help a person who has lost several teeth for various reason. Having a tooth knocked out is
very common for children but also plagues adults, especially those who play sports. Hockey players
are often missing a few teeth and end up having implants done to replace the damage that they’ve
suffered during years of playing such a rough sport.
Some people have specific issues with the finish of their teeth. Coffee drinkers will sometimes have
severe staining in the enamel of their teeth. Bleaching can help these people to have a bright white
smile even though they love their coffee each morning. Some genetic issues cause a discolor of the
enamel that causes white spots. These people may choose veneers that are applied over the top of
their teeth. Veneers are bonded into place to form a new wall over the tooth, like adding siding on
a wall, veneers simply cover the existing enamel with another material that shows a perfect color
and smile to others. No one will ever know that you have veneers unless you tell them that you do.
Caring for veneers and implants is very much the same as your normal teeth. You’ll have to brush
and keep them clean just as you normally would care for your teeth.
Cosmetic dentistry has undergone continuous changes over the last thirty years. The specialty
continues to grow and become more common. While a dentist used to take care of nearly anything
that had to do with your teeth, there are now specialty practitioners who handle orthodontics and
cosmetic work. Some practices, for example, only do implant surgery now and that process can be
done in one day, rather than over the course of weeks, as it used to take.