Cosmetic Dentistry

Individuals who enhance their smile through cosmetic dentistry enjoy several other benefits as well. A sparkling smile boosts your confidence and lifts your mood, and many aesthetic dental treatments are good for your oral health.

A further benefit of cosmetic dentistry is that it can address a wide range of problems that spoil smiles, with long-lasting results. And a smile remodel by your Plymouth prosthodontist is far more affordable than a costly plastic surgery facelift.

Cosmetic Dentistry and Prosthodontics

Cosmetic dentistry isn’t a specialty, and any general dentist can offer treatments to restore smiles. But prosthodontists like Metropolitan Prosthodontics in Plymouth, MN are recognized dental specialists in aesthetic restorative treatments. The extra training that prosthodontists undertake makes them more advanced in cosmetic dental procedures and able to treat more complex issues such as full-mouth restoration as part of a complete smile makeover.

Problems That Cosmetic Dentistry Can Fix

Cosmetic dentistry rejuvenates smiles and eliminates the embarrassment of unsightly teeth by addressing dental problems such as:

  • Stained or discolored teeth.
  • Chipped teeth.
  • Decayed teeth.
  • Missing teeth.

Common Types of Cosmetic Dentistry

The solution to aesthetic dental concerns comes in the form of cosmetic dental procedures such as:

More than one of these procedures can be combined for a total smile makeover.

Benefits of Professional Teeth Whitening

Teeth often lose their shine as we get older and become stained by dark-colored foods and drinks. Professional teeth whitening provides the best solution – faster and more effective than over-the-counter dental whitening products and bleaching kits. Metropolitan Prosthodontics provides customized whitening trays for patients to use at home, and we can safely use higher concentrations of bleaching agent than store-bought whitening products.

This means fast, dramatic results with teeth several shades whiter – whitening trays from your Plymouth prosthodontist lighten staining of both the outer, enamel layer of teeth and the underlying dentin. The significant results of professional teeth whitening are also an incentive to keep up a high standard of oral hygiene to keep your smile sparkling.

Benefits of Dental Veneers

Porcelain dental veneers – wafer-thin shells that are bonded onto the front of teeth – conceal dental imperfections such as stained or chipped teeth and are individually crafted for each patient to match the shape and color of adjacent teeth. They can also be used to resize or reshape teeth to make them look straighter or address issues such as small gaps between teeth or minor teeth crowding. The cosmetic dentistry treatment of choice of many movie stars, porcelain veneers not only give you a Hollywood smile but also provide an extra layer of protection against dental damage. Advances in dental veneer technology have made veneers even thinner, which means only a tiny amount of enamel needs to be trimmed from the tooth.

Benefits of Tooth Bonding

Like veneers, tooth bonding addresses aesthetic issues such as teeth that are stained, chipped or gapped. However, dental bonding is a faster procedure, costs less, and requires no trimming of dental enamel. With tooth bonding, tooth-colored composite resin is applied onto teeth and shaped to enhance their appearance. An ultraviolet light or a laser is used to harden the bonding material, which is then trimmed and polished to match the rest of the tooth surface. Dental bonding is also used to improve oral health by restoring full function to damaged teeth and strengthening enamel to prevent issues such as tooth infection.

Benefits of White Fillings

Fillings repair teeth deterioration and help prevent further decay by sealing off areas where bacteria can get in. They can also be used to enhance the size and shape of teeth. Your Plymouth prosthodontist repairs decayed teeth with white (composite) fillings – a superior aesthetic option compared with silver (amalgam) fillings, especially in the more visible areas of the mouth. Composite adheres strongly to teeth and requires less drilling than an amalgam filling. We can also swap out your old silver fillings for white fillings that blend in seamlessly with surrounding teeth for a natural appearance.

Benefits of Dental Implants

If tooth loss has left an unsightly gap in your smile, dental implants are the state-of-the-art tooth replacement method with key advantages over traditional dentures. A dental implant is a biocompatible rod, usually made of titanium, which is inserted into the socket of a missing tooth to support a dental prosthesis such as a crown, denture or bridge. The implant fuses with jawbone to form an artificial tooth root. This process (osseointegration) promotes the bone growth essential to preserve facial structure and appearance – something that conventional dentures and bridges can’t do. If you’ve lost all your upper or lower teeth, your Plymouth prosthodontist can restore your smile in a single appointment, with a temporary bridge mounted on four to six implants. The permanent bridge is fitted a few months later when the healing process is completed.

Benefits of Dental Crowns

Porcelain dental crowns are a versatile cosmetic and restorative dental treatment. They repair and strengthen decayed teeth and enhance appearance when a filling would be insufficient. Crowns can also be used in conjunction with other procedures such as dental implants and bridges to replace missing teeth, and to provide additional protection after root canal treatment. Crowns – also known as tooth caps – cover the entire surface of a tooth above the gum line to strengthen function and improve appearance by restoring natural shape, size and color. They prevent infection from penetrating into the tooth nerve and strengthen remaining healthy tooth structure. Metropolitan Prosthodontics uses digital impressions to make crowns, which streamlines the procedure and ensures the most precise fit.

Ready to Transform Your Smile?

One or more cosmetic dental procedures can provide the solution to the problem of facial appearance suffering as time and wear and tear take their toll on our teeth. While the focus of dental aesthetics is enhancing appearance, it also improves your quality of life by restoring self-esteem with a healthy smile you can show off in confidence in social and professional settings. Aesthetic dental procedures also go hand in hand with optimal dental functionality. Contact Plymouth prosthodontist Metropolitan Prosthodontics to find out how you could reap the benefits of cosmetic dentistry.