Cosmetic dental services can largely benefit patients with mildly crooked teeth. Crooked teeth can affect the aesthetics of your smile and can make it harder to keep your mouth clean. Fortunately, dentists have a few ways to improve the appearance of crooked teeth.
Here are a few of the cosmetic dental services that our dentist can use to make the teeth appear straighter.
This can be used to change the shape of teeth, making them appear straighter. The composite is color-matched with the color of the patient’s teeth, so any repairs made do not stick out. The composites used for this treatment are made from glass and plastics.
Dental bonding is a non-invasive procedure, and it only takes about 45 minutes to adjust the appearance of a tooth with a composite. Composite bonding can also be used to tackle other issues, like spaces between teeth, discoloration, and deformities.
Veneers can be strategically placed to make crooked teeth appear straighter. Dentists often recommend this approach when the patient has other issues that can be addressed with veneers, like stains, deformities, or chips.
Placing a veneer requires removing enamel (the tooth’s outer layer) from the front of the tooth, and there is no going back once that has been done. Enamel plays an important role in protecting the more sensitive inner layers of a tooth from acids made by oral bacteria. A tooth that has had its enamel removed will always need a restoration to be its enamel moving forward.
Getting veneers typically requires a minimum of two trips to the dentist. The first visit is used to prepare the patient’s tooth, take an impression, and cement a temporary veneer into place. The patient’s customized veneer is made with an impression given to a dental lab. It takes about two weeks for the custom restoration to get back to the dentist. The dentist takes off the temporary veneer during the second visit and places the customized veneer on the tooth.
Crowns can also be used to create the appearance of straight teeth. Getting a crown placed on a tooth is even more invasive than placing a veneer, so dentists usually only recommend them for crooked teeth when the patient has other problems that need to be fixed with crowns, like severe tooth decay or damage.
Getting a crown placed on a patient’s tooth also requires at least two trips to the dentist. The process is similar to the way that veneers are placed.
These are transparent trays that can be used to straighten teeth. These appliances work by gradually pushing the patient’s teeth to an improved alignment. The patient gets to show off their smile while their teeth are being straightened.
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Our dentist can help fix any teeth alignment issues that you are dealing with. Call us at 815-604-6104 or stop by our Lakewood clinic to set up an appointment.
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