A more beautiful smile can make life more beautiful. Studies have shown that a healthy and attractive smile can raise self-esteem, increase confidence, improve your personal as well as your professional life, and help you make better first impressions on others. Sometimes it doesn’t take much treatment for you to feel better about your smile, and there are a variety of subtle, yet noticeable ways that smiles can be enhanced. There are also more significant and dramatic treatment procedures (and combinations of procedures), often called “smile makeovers,” that can totally change teeth and smile appearance, to give you the smile of your dreams.
While there is no true “specialist” association with cosmetic dentistry, there are a number of organizations with advanced training and awards associated with cosmetic dentistry. Some dentists place greater emphasis on cosmetic dentistry treatments, especially when they have an exceptionally artistic eye and/or particular enjoyment for cosmetic procedures.
Advancements in dental technology have made it possible for dentists to address a wide variety of issues affecting smile appearance. Some common cosmetic dentistry treatments include teeth whitening, cosmetic bonding and enamel shaping, porcelain veneers, bridges, and orthodontic solutions (including braces and aligner therapy). Replacing old, amalgam (silver) fillings with tooth-colored fillings can also be considered cosmetic in nature, as it is done to improve both the health and structure, and the appearance of teeth. Really, all dental treatment aimed to improve the appearance of your teeth, gum shape, and smile can be considered cosmetic in nature.
