Very few people like going to the dentist, but you don't have to dread your dentist's office either. In addition to maintaining the health of your teeth, many dentists offer cosmetic dentistry services that can improve your smile, helping you to feel more confident on a daily basis.
Teeth Whitening
One of the most popular reasons to go see a cosmetic dentist is to get your teeth whitened. Teeth can become stained over the years due to drinking coffee or tea, smoking, or due to taking medications that can change the color of your teeth to a yellow or brown tint. Over time, this can lead to your teeth becoming noticeably less white and may cause you to hold back on your smile in photograph and social occasions for fear that people will notice your teeth are discolored.
A cosmetic dental care provider can help reverse the staining process, allowing you to regain the natural white hue of your healthy teeth. Although there are many different "take home" products that you can use to whiten your teeth, including specially formulated strips, some of the most effective treatments require the supervision of your dentist.
Some dentists use special whitening gels in combination with different light wavelengths to lighten your teeth, a process known as Britesmile Teeth Whitening. The light activates special crystals in the gel that bleach your teeth. Another technique is laser whitening. This technique is similar to Britesmile but uses a laser light to activate the crystals instead of a regular light. Your cosmetic dentist may also be able to make custom-fit bleaching trays that contain chemicals that will whiten your teeth. This will allow you to whiten your teeth from the comfort of your own home on your own schedule.
Dental Implants
Another thing that can impair your smile is missing teeth. Once your adult teeth come in, your teeth can no longer come back. This means that any teeth that break or are knocked out are gone forever. However, just because you will never get your original teeth back does not mean that you have to live the rest of your life with a gap in your smile.
Dental implants can be inserted into your mouth to help replace missing teeth. Depending on the extent of the damage, dental implants can be used to fill in missing space for one or multiple teeth. When done by an experienced professional, dental implants can be nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing. These implants contain both a tooth and a root and are anchored to the bone, so they will look and feel like a genuine tooth.