Cosmetic dentistry deals with ways to make your teeth more attractive. A common reason people are dissatisfied with their teeth is that their teeth aren't white enough. This could be due to stains from food and drinks or permanent stains from medications or an injured tooth. If you're unhappy with your smile due to one or more of your teeth being yellow or dark, you might want to consider one of these cosmetic dentistry options.
Cosmetic Bonding
Bonding involves covering your tooth with resin that's the shade of your choice. If you only have one discolored tooth, and the other front teeth are the shade of white you like, the dentist will mix a color that matches your natural teeth so the work blends in. If you want all your front teeth bonded, you can select the white shade you like best.
Bonding is a treatment that requires etching your enamel so the resin adheres well. The dentist then mixes the resin to the exact color you want and then covers your tooth with it. The result is a whiter tooth or teeth without having to do any damage that makes the process irreversible.
Veneers
Veneers also cover your teeth to give them a whiter appearance. However, veneers are made of porcelain. They're thin shells that are bonded to the surface of your teeth. The dentist will probably need to remove a small amount of enamel so the shells will fit perfectly on your teeth. This makes veneers a permanent treatment.
You can have all of your front teeth covered in veneers, or you can just cover one or more teeth that have stains. Veneers can be made an exact match to the shade of your natural teeth. However, if you want your natural teeth to be whiter too, your dentist may give you whitening treatments to get the shade of white you like and then make the veneers that will cover your stained teeth the same shade.
This is an important step since veneers can't be whitened like your other teeth can, so if you intend to use whitening products on your teeth, you'll want the veneers to match the new white color. If you're having all your front teeth covered in veneers, you won't have to worry about color matching since all the veneers will be the shade of white you want and will stay that way permanently.
Talk to a cosmetic dentistry service about bonding and veneers when you want white teeth. In some cases, professional cleaning is enough to get teeth white. If you have decay that needs to be filled, a better option than a veneer might be a crown. Your dentist will consider the health of your tooth and the type of staining you have and recommend the best way to get the white smile you want.
Our oral surgery and general dental website offers important information on how to prevent dry socket following a tooth extraction. After getting your tooth pulled, a protective blood clot develops over the extraction site. Many of our blog posts explain how this protective clot helps promote healing after an extraction.
You'll learn that if the clot is accidentally dislodged, dry socket may occur, which can raise your risk for infection and heavy bleeding. We'll provide you with important tips on how to prevent this by avoiding smoking and drinking through a straw. You'll also learn that swishing water around your mouth should be avoided for a couple of days following your extraction because doing so creates a suction that may dislodge your clot, leading to dry socket.