We often explain the difference between general practice dentistry and cosmetic dentistry in terms of where the former ends and the latter picks up; cosmetic dentistry is all about the look and function of your smile, above and beyond its overall health. It’s important to understand that cosmetic dentists, for example, are able to perform all the functions and procedures expected of “traditional” dental health professionals. The difference is that cosmetic dentists keep their focus on how the final product of any procedure will look, even as they work to improve the patient’s oral health.
A good example of this would be a procedure like the installation of dental implants. Implants are metal rods that replace the roots of missing or damaged teeth, and form the foundation for new bridges, crowns, or implant-supported dentures. There are many general practice dentists who perform the procedure for dental implants, and restore exceptional function to their patient’s teeth. However with a cosmetic dentist, you’ve got a dental professional who’s also looking out for how those implants (and, more importantly, the artificial teeth they support) will look when the process is complete. Most cosmetic dentists subscribe to the notion that the less people can tell they’ve done work, the better job they’ve done; the perfect cosmetic dentistry procedure is one where no one can tell it took place at all!
Fillings are another area where cosmetic dentists stand out; most filling materials today are “tooth colored” rather than metallic. Cosmetic dentistry professionals go the extra mile in color matching the composite materials used to fill holes caused by trauma or cavities, leaving behind fillings that are difficult to impossible to spot. There are any number of procedures for different dental needs; contact our office today to discover whether cosmetic dentistry is right for you.