What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is basically anything done that improves the look of a tooth and your overall smile. Here at McOmie Family Dentistry our doctors and staff have had extensive training in the area of cosmetic dentistry. We lead the field of cosmetic dentistry through the use of technology and advanced procedures. We feel that every procedure we do is a cosmetic procedure. This is what makes us the premier cosmetic dental office in Chattanooga.
Cosmetic dentistry according to Wikipedia it is defined as;
“Cosmetic dentistry is generally used to refer to any dental work that improves the appearance (though not necessarily the function) of a person’s teeth, gums and/or bite. It primarily focuses on improvement of dental aesthetics in color, position, shape, size, alignment and overall smile appearance.”
Watch this video for a brief explanation of Cosmetic Dentistry.
How do Implants fit into cosmetic dentistry?
Dental implants are an important part of our treatment protocol. If a tooth is missing for any reason, an implant is always considered first for the replacement of that tooth. Even if multiple teeth are missing, we look to dental implants as our number one option.
Dental implants fit the in the definition of cosmetic dentistry because they improve the look of a smile by replacing teeth. These days we can do so much to with dental implants it is amazing. Here at McOmie Family Dentistry we surgically place dental implants and restore the dental implant. That sounds like an obvious thing to do, but very few dentists in Chattanooga have the skill required to do this. Most offices will send you to another office to have an implant placed then months later have you come back to have the implant restored. We offer a one-stop-shop, so to speak. You can come in we can put the implant in and restore it. Sometimes this process can take as little as 2 weeks. Implants are truly amazing
Implants can do more than just hold crowns
Sometimes you can be missing multiple teeth, and a couple of implants can be placed, and they can hold multiple teeth through the use of a bridge which we like to call an implant-supported bridge. Dental implants can also be used to anchor removable prosthesis such as a partial or a denture. Anchoring a lower denture with dental implants can be a life-changing experience. It allows the denture to be “snapped” in place! The results are astonishing.
Veneers are the epitome of Cosmetic Dentistry
The word veneer is not unique to dentistry. A veneer is a covering of a facing. In construction, there are brick veneers of structures or a veneer on a countertop. In dentistry, the word veneer is synonymous with beautiful teeth. It is true dental veneers create beautiful smiles, but how do they do this? Veneers are facings that go on the front of teeth.
Things we can correct with dental veneers are things like.
- Mis-shaped or small teeth – Sometimes people are born with teeth that are too little compared to their other teeth. A “peg lateral” is a dental term for a lateral incisor that looks like a peg or a spike. This is much more common than you think it is, a veneer is a great treatment to fix this problem.
THIS IS A CASE OF A MISSHAPED LATERAL INCISORS. -
IN THIS PICTURE THE SMALL TEETH HAVE VENEERS.
- Discolored teeth– There is a condition known as “tetracycline stain.” This condition is caused when the antibiotic tetracycline is given to a child when their teeth are developing. We don’t see this on kids anymore because in the United States it’s use is avoided in children, but for some unlucky people who are now about 43-65, we do see this characterized by bands of gray. This isn’t on the surface of the tooth it is part of the tooth. Veneers can be used to cover this. Here at McOmie Family Dentistry, we have done veneers for this purpose many many times. It is another life changing treatment.
- Crooked teeth– Yes crooked teeth can be corrected with veneers. We aren’t talking about correcting a persons bite that is off, and they need braces and oral surgery. But for those with rotations and tilts on teeth, we can fix this with veneers. It will make your smile amazing.
- Tooth much space – Some people have gaps between their teeth. Tooth gaps are pretty much the easiest thing to do with veneers. Many times to correct this there is no reason to prep the teeth. Just put the veneers on, and they look beautiful! Cosmetic dentistry at it’s finest.
These are the main reasons to do veneers although there are more. We will save the details for a blog post just about veneers. Stay tuned.
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THESE TEETH ON THE LEFT HAVE BIG SPACES. -
THIS WAS RESOLVED WITH VENEERS ON SIX UPPER TEETH.
What About Fillings? Are They Cosmetic Dentistry?
The simple answer is yes, yes yes! Fillings are absolutely part of cosmetic dentistry. We use fillings in so many different ways to make or keep teeth looking beautiful. These days nobody wants to see dentistry after it is done. Decades ago it was considered normal to go to the dentist to have a filling done and have a big silver thing in your tooth. For our patients, those days are over. Although many dentists in Chattanooga still do silver fillings, Dr. Mark McOmie quit doing them in 1998, almost 20 years ago.
A well-done filling is hard to see and is something that can’t be noticed. We also use fillings to cover miscolored parts on teeth. We use fillings in the form of dental bonding to building up teeth to make the tooth the proper shape and size.
One of the most fun things we do with white or tooth-colored fillings is replacing silver fillings! This is a significant part of cosmetic dentistry. Silver fillings are also called “amalgam fillings” and are a mixture of metal filling materials such as silver, copper, tin, and mercury to name a few. If used on a tooth that has translucency it can make the tooth look gray. We can remove that silver material and replace it with a white filling material and make that gray color go away! It is really fun and just takes a few minutes not hours, days and weeks.
Cosmetic Dentistry is a big broad part of dentistry that encompasses many aspects of dentistry. Here at McOmie Family Dentistry, we think every procedure we do is cosmetic dentistry! After all who wants something done in their mouth that would make it look bad. We believe every procedure should enhance what nature gave us and mimic the natural esthetics of our teeth, highlighting what makes our smiles beautiful. At our dental office, we do our best to make our dentistry as bio-comparable, and biomimetic as possible. That is to say, keeping things looking and functioning as natural as possible.
Our doctors are true cosmetic dentists. Our doctors have advanced training, the expertise, and experience to give you the life-changing smile you are seeking. Stop in for a free consult look at our past cases, and you will see what makes McOmie Family Dentistry so special!
