Having a perfect smile can boost your confidence and self-esteem. If your natural teeth have lost the magic or when you have lost a few teeth because of issues like decay and injury, you should seek help. Cosmetic dentistry is all about getting the smile you deserve, and many procedures often overlap with restorative treatments. What treatments you need largely depends on your concerns, and your La Jolla dentist can offer better insights on the options. It often happens that a cosmetic dentist suggests multiple treatments to offer a complete makeover. In this comprehensive guide, let’s talk of a few procedures that can change your smile.
Dental implants
If you are missing a few teeth, you should consider restorations immediately. Losing teeth doesn’t just affect your smile; there are also additional concerns. For instance, your other teeth can shift out of position, and there is also a drastic loss of bone density. Dental implants work better than dentures and other restorations to fix your smile. Depending on the option you choose, you will need three to four appointments, and while getting implants requires surgery, the success rate is high. Implants are drilled into the jawbone or placed above it, and eventually, the posts support restorations like dentures, crowns, and bridges. Options like Straumann® Implants are often preferred because of faster healing.
Dental veneers
Stained, cracked, and chipped teeth can look ugly. Regardless of the reason, your dentist can fix these issues with dental veneers. Veneers look like thin shells that are cemented to the front surface of your teeth and can completely reshape your smile. Whether you have small gaps between teeth, minor misalignment issues, or deeply stained teeth, this is a great choice. Veneers also can also whiten your teeth beyond their natural color. Getting veneers takes about two appointments, and there is no pain involved. After checking for signs of decay and gum disease, your dentist will buff and prepare the teeth in the first appointment. During the second visit, the veneers will be fixed in place.
Teeth whitening
As the name suggests, teeth whitening addresses issues such as staining and discoloration. You can consider in-clinic treatment, where the dentist will work on your teeth to clean and bleach them. The results are usually amazing and immediate. There are also take-home kits, which are effective for getting a whiter smile. Your dentist will order custom trays and give you a bleaching solution. You are required to wear them with the solution as instructed, and within two to three weeks, you will see a difference.
Dental bridges
A bridge has pontics or prosthetic teeth in between with crowns on both ends. Traditional bridges are great for replacing two or more missing teeth in a row. Your dentist will check the adjacent teeth and prepare them for the procedure. They will also take bite impressions to order the bridge from a lab. During the next appointment, they will fix the bridge. The crowns are fixed to the abutment teeth on the sides. Dental bridges don’t move around and are often preferred over dentures, especially if the patient has only a few teeth on the same arch. The procedure doesn’t hurt and requires two to three appointments.
Talk to your dentist today!
Almost all dental clinics in La Jolla offer cosmetic procedures, but before you choose a dentist, check their background, expertise, and experience. At the least, you deserve to know whether there are ways to get a perfectly aligned smile. While insurance doesn’t pay for cosmetic dental care in most cases, the clinic you choose may have a flexible plan for paying for your elective treatments.
