Cosmetic dentistry can boost your confidence and transform your smile. If you have ever felt self conscious about your pearly whites, you could be jeopardizing some of the documented benefits of smiling.
Not only are there social benefits to smiling, such as being seen as more likable, attractive, intelligent and trustworthy, there are actual health benefits linked to smiling, which can improve your health and ensure a longer life.
The health benefits of smiling and laughing include:
- Improved mood
- Lower blood pressure
- Stress relief
- Stronger immune function
- Pain relief
- Longer life
Next to the social and health benefits of cosmetic dentistry, there are restorative cosmetic dentistry procedures used to restore dental health and relieve pain.
Let’s explore some of the cosmetic dentistry and restorative dental procedures available to patients today.
The Social and Wellness Benefits of Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry
Teeth Whitening
Since your smile is one of the first ways that people assess your personality, having a whiter and brighter smile can improve the way you feel about your smile and the way that others perceive you.
Some teeth whitening options include:
- Custom whitening trays made by your dentist used with whitening gel
- Over-the-counter teeth whitening produces
- Whitening toothpastes, rinses, and white strips
Dental Veneers
Made from porcelain or resin composite materials, dental veneers are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials that cover the front surface of the teeth to improve the way your smile looks. The shells are bonded to the front of the teeth and can change the color, shape, size or length.
Dental Crowns
A dental crown is used to restore a tooth’s shape, size, strength, and appearance. It is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over the tooth and, when cemented into place, covers the entire visible portion of the tooth at and above the gum line.
Dental crowns can be made from stainless steel, all metal such as gold or alloy, porcelain-fused-to-metal, resin or ceramic and can help to restore decayed teeth and the overall appearance of your smile.
Dental Bonding
Dental bonding can be used to improve the look and condition of teeth by repairing decayed or chipped teeth, closing spaces between teeth, and changing the shape and overall look of teeth.
The dental bonding procedure entails a tooth-colored resin material being applied to the tooth and hardened with a special light to bond to the tooth. When the material is hardened, a dentist will trim and shape it and polish it to match the sheen of the rest of your teeth.
Inlays and Onlays
Dental inlays and onlays are made from gold, porcelain, or composite materials and are used to fill decayed or damaged teeth. While fillings are molded to your teeth, inlays and onlays are made in a dental laboratory and then bonded to your teeth by your dentist.
This procedure preserves the healthy part of the tooth and can be used as an alternative to crowns.
Dental Implants
Dental Implants are replacement tooth roots made of titanium that are inserted into the bone socket of a missing tooth. After insertion into the jaw bone, healing takes place around the implanted metal post, which can be used to anchor a replacement tooth.
Smiling is part of a healthy and happy life. If you are interested in any of the cosmetic dentistry and restorative dental treatments mentioned above, contact us today so we can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle.
