Friday, November 27, 2009

Cosmetic Dentistry

S
mile with confidence !




You might have been to a hair dresser, a beauty salon and a fashion boutique to beautify yourself, but how many times have you visited a dentist for it?

Yes - a dentist! We have related Dentistry only to relieving pain and disease forgetting the most crucial part in our beauty - the smile. Your smile is a key part of your unique look and personality. It’s not surprising that the world assesses your friendliness and personality by your smile. It is a key factor in your self esteem and the way you interact with others.

If you have been refraining from smiling due to your teeth color, structure, position or shape its time to visit a dentist. There are many ways to enhance your smile and your regular dentist or a cosmetic dentist can help you through it. Many people are more interested in changing the color of their teeth than the tooth's actual shape. This is the reason why people relate cosmetic dentistry with whitening of the teeth, but cosmetic dentistry also equally concern with changing tooth shape and position. Here we lay down some corrections that your dentist can give you for a smile with confidence.

Discoloured Teeth




The most common correction of discolouration is through whitening. Though very popular in rest of the world, it is not widely available in Nepal. This is because of the unavailability of the new technologies used for bleaching. However, home bleaching system is pretty popular these days. Discolouration can be present in a single or in few teeth only. In these cases, crown and veneer can be made so as to mask the colour. Both of these act as a cover for the natural teeth. Crown covers the whole of the tooth surface while veneer covers only front surface of the tooth. Beaching can also be done in single tooth.

Besides discolouration stain is also a common problem. This can be corrected in the same way as the discolouration but in minor cases scaling or composite filling is enough to remove or hide the stains.

Abnormal Position of Teeth

Wearing braces is another very popular dental treatment in Nepal. If you have a problem with the position and shape of teeth like rotation, crowding and gaps, they can be corrected by forcing them into desired position with the help of metal wires. These wires can be fixed or removable.

Braces may not be a desirable choice because of the time it takes for correction and also the awkwardness one may face to show it. Simple problems like rotation, tipping can be masked by putting veneer or crown over the tooth. Porcelain crowns are stronger and look more like natural teeth. They can be made in different shades and so can exactly match the adjacent tooth colour.

Wide gaps, especially in the front teeth can also be corrected by putting crown or composite filling.

Surface Defects




Surface defects like cracks, chipped teeth, erosion, fracture and cavity can be easily corrected with Composite Bonding. After preparing the teeth for bonding, the dentist uses a mild acid to condition the enamel of the tooth so the composite will adhere to it. Then the dentist applies and shapes several layers of the composite material to the proper form on the tooth, which can change both the shape and shade of your tooth. The procedure is painless and done in one or two appointments.

Tooth Loss




Tooth loss can be another reason for a bad smile. There are various technique to replace a lost tooth. Bridge is a common treatment for replacing missing tooth or teeth with tooth-shaped porcelain that fills the space. However it is a costly and time consuming process. Despite the time and money, it is an excellent means of replacing missing teeth.

Implant is new and advanced technology in dentistry for replacing missing tooth but is not common in Nepal. Implant is placed(screwed) surgically in the jaw and gums. This process might be more expensive than the bridge.

A cheaper process is a removable tooth that can be placed over the missing tooth. These teeth are made up of acrylic. While they are cheaper, they can be uncomfortable and less stronger than porcelain teeth.

After knowing the possibilities, now you do not need to cover your mouth when you laugh or close your lips while smiling. Smile freely – as it does wonders. Just imagine how an attractive new smile could boost your confidence, improve your relationships and help you show others the real you!



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