This part of dentistry deals with the beautification of teeth, gums and overall smile. Smile differs as per your personality so designing a smile is an intricate and customized process. For example, men have squarish teeth while women have ovate teeth with softer line angles. The shape of teeth also differs according to the face-cut, facial features, color of the skin, persona and physique.
A veneer/ laminate is a layer of a very thin tooth-like material put over the facial/front portion of a natural tooth. Veneers may be placed to correct crowding, mal-positioning of teeth, to close the gaps in between teeth, increasing the length of teeth or give a whiter brighter smile. Properly placed veneers have been known to have a very long life and they also play a big role in maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Veneers are of two types:
Ceramic veneers need a minimum or no preparation of the facial (front) surface of the tooth. Ceramic Veneers are fabricated in the dental laboratory by a trained technician after your dentist prepares the teeth. These are later cemented on the existing prepped teeth. Ceramic veneers could be made of various types of ceramics like IPS Empress, E Max or feldspathic veneers.
Some common indications for veneers;
Teeth discolored to the point that teeth whitening procedures may not be enough.
Malpositioned teeth that need to be changed to provide a uniform, homogeneous appearance but the patient does not want to undergo orthodontic treatment.
Pitted or mottled teeth, teeth with white spots (hypo calcification) or tetracycline stains which appear as horizontal brown lines on front teeth.
Teeth that need lengthening.
Diastema (spacing in teeth).
Broken or chipped teeth.
A composite resin veneer is directly fabricated on the existing tooth by the dentist. This is a good choice for people who want a new smile in a few hours or want to get a feel of their new smile before getting ceramic veneers.
Teeth whitening is a popular procedure for whitening the teeth. Permanent teeth vary in color depending on various factors like thickness of enamel, color and thickness of underlying dentine, heredity, and habits like chewing betel leaves or smoking. The discoloration could be because of:
Extrinsic factors: this includes smoking, certain mouthwashes, or other factors. It is generally, though not always limited to superficial layers of enamel. This type of discoloration/ stains can be taken care of by good oral prophylaxis (scaling and polishing).
Intrinsic factors: discoloration is generally not limited to the superficial layers of enamel. It could be rooted deeper in the dentine and can be attributed to deep cracks in the tooth, heredity, deep stains or tetracycline (antibiotic) stains, necrosis of pulp or old discolored fillings. This discoloration becomes an aesthetic/ cosmetic concern; especially in the visible front teeth and patients want better looking ‘whiter’ or ‘lighter’ teeth.
Teeth whitening/ bleaching process involves the application of a peroxide-based bleach on the tooth which could be activated by a specific wavelength of light. This light catalyzes the process of bleaching and reduces contact time and chair-side time. Many times in-office bleaching could be combined with a home bleach whereby your dentist will custom-make bleach carrier trays which you could use at home to enhance the effect of bleach further. This process is very popular and safe but it may not be an answer for everyone. Sometimes a combination of teeth whitening and other procedures is required.
Full mouth rehabilitation or full mouth reconstruction is needed when the overall oral health is deteriorated due to multiple dental problems. Full mouth rehabilitation brings about great results and is often used to balance one or many aspects of aesthetics and function. It often requires a multidisciplinary approach and may involve a team of specialists like periodontologists (specializing in gums), orthodontists (specializing in tooth movement and position) or others. In Treatment planning, we need to consider many options and possibilities like:
Condition of teeth
Condition of gums
Skeletal anomalies if any
Habits like Bruxism or teeth clenching
Time constraints or budget constraints if any
After considering all the possibilities, the best and practical treatment is planned and discussed before proceeding. The final result depends on the expertise of your doctor or team. Hence we have a highly trained team of doctors to perform such complex and intricate procedures.
Teeth that have been lost ( missing teeth) due to decay or trauma.
Severely worn teeth (abrasion or erosion).
Teeth that are injured or fractured.
Ongoing complaints of jaw, muscle pain or constant headaches.
Adjustment in patient’s bite (occlusion).
Sometimes small changes make a big difference. Uneven teeth, pointed/ sharp cuspids, slight overlap in teeth can be easily corrected with cosmetic contouring. It is a wonderful noninvasive method to correct minor rotations, overlapping or uneven edges of teeth.
The tooth is reshaped or sculpted by removing a very small amount of enamel at just the right places. Cosmetic contouring works on simple fundamentals, that the tooth has no nerve endings in enamel and therefore there is no pain perception. It is like trimming hair. It is a very safe procedure and does not lead to sensitivity later.
We take a few X-rays before starting the treatment to ensure that your teeth are healthy. By and large, it is a conservative technique to bring about good cosmetic results. Your cosmetic dentist will weigh the pros and cons before suggesting this procedure to you.
