Cosmetic Dentistry
If you’re doing research to find the right dentist to help solve your problem, you should know that there are generally two different types of dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry pertains mainly to the appearance of a person’s teeth. It’s often considered nonessential and often doesn’t reflect the patient’s need in terms of health and/or wellness. Simply put, there’s a problem in their mouth that really causes them to lose confidence in themselves. They might even have a difficult time cleaning their teeth.
In this instance, they might go to a cosmetic dentist, you might be considered a specialist in the field rather than a normal dentist. While both types of professionals exist within dentistry, many consider themselves a specialist in the field of cosmetic dentistry because they took on extra specialty training for these nonessential procedures. Just like you might find a doctor who performs life-saving surgery who might then decide to do plastic surgery (or other types of cosmetic surgery) really is their specialty.
One type of cosmetic dentists is orthodontists. Many teenagers are taken to orthodontists when it’s time for them to get braces. In this field, they specialize in straightening teeth and even adults can end up wearing braces if they feel that their teeth are too crooked. Cosmetic dentistry is not typically a recognized specialty designation given by the College of Dental Surgeons, but they still play an important role within the field.
The Main Differences Between Cosmetic Dentistry and General Dentistry
Within general dentistry, you’ll find the more common practice of ensuring patients have a clean, healthy, and happy mouth. They might often include other essential procedures that you need to have done every six months, including root canals, tooth extractions, fillings, or even the most common procedure, cleanings. These things are all beneficial to your health in one way or another.
Keeping up with your dental visits for essential procedures really helps keep your mouth looking good in the long run, but there might be a time later on when you need to see a cosmetic dentist. For example, as mentioned above, a lot of young pre-teens and teenagers find that their adult teeth didn’t really come in straight, so your dentist might recommend that you go see an orthodontist to get braces, which is a form of cosmetic dentistry.
Improvements in the Field of Cosmetic Dentistry
Advancements in both technology and in the medical field have allowed for cosmetic dentistry to be more effective than ever. Before, going to the dentist was a difficult thing to do because of the pain that would be caused by undergoing any type of dental procedure. Now, there are a lot of ways to get cosmetic surgery done in your mouth quicker and even pain-free. By using lasers, more precise incisions, and even sedation, you don’t have to worry or be anxious about your next cosmetic dental appointment.
Cosmetic dentistry can help improve the overall quality of your life. The great smile can improve your confidence, making life easier in a lot of different ways. There are numerous benefits to smiling each day, and if your teeth are crooked or messed up, that can make you feel ashamed and not want to smile at all. Your appearance matters to you as well. Maybe you would like a vibrant dating life or you want to make a great first impression while interviewing for a job. Having confidence in your smile makes these things a lot easier.
Different Types of Cosmetic Dentistry
You might find that whatever falls under the list of general dentist procedures were having cosmetic dentistry done really depends on the dentist. Many general dentists might be specialized to do cosmetic dentistry. You might find cosmetic dentists who only focus on that specialization. It really depends on the dentist you choose in all the different options that they offer.
Typically, it’s anything outside of the norm for the general health of your teeth. For example, getting whitening treatments. White teeth aren’t essential for your mouth’s health, but they look really good, so you might want to take on these types of treatments. This is just one example of cosmetic dentistry. Visiting an orthodontist to fix crooked teeth, getting veneers to fix discolored teeth, crowns and bridges that are used to fix areas where there are gaps, and teeth implants to replace missing teeth are all great examples of cosmetic dentistry.