Cosmetic dentistry
The term "cosmetic dentistry" is often used to describe dental treatments which are used to make aesthetic improvements to a person's smile. This could be a simple, single treatment such as teeth whitening through to a combination of treatments used together to create a full smile makeover here at our surgery in St Helens.
There are a number of different treatments, all with cosmetic benefits including those to replace teeth, straighten teeth, whiten teeth or mask or repair defects which have built up over the years.
Two of the most common cosmetic dentistry treatments are teeth whitening and veneers which are covered in more detail below.
Teeth whitening
Whitening (sometimes called "bleaching") is perhaps one of the most accessible treatments for enhancing a person's smile, simply because it is very affordable, non-invasive and also produces very fast results.
For more detail on our teeth whitening treatments here at Corner Dental, please see our dedicated whitening page here.
Veneers
Veneers are a thin slice of porcelain made to fit over the front of your tooth – a bit like a false finger nail, but much thinner. They can be used for:-
- Damaged and chipped teeth – chipped or damaged teeth from trauma or tooth decay can be easily made perfect with porcelain veneers.
- Worn Teeth – People who grind or clench their teeth or have an uneven bite tend to wear their teeth down. Porcelain veneers are a brilliant option to restore the teeth to make them look natural again.
- Discoloured teeth – If your teeth are badly discoloured then porcelain veneers may be a better option than teeth whitening. Sometimes teeth whitening does not work because the stains are too ingrained into the tooth surface. Porcelain veneers can give you a bright and beautiful smile and are less destructive.
- Crooked teeth – Veneers can hide crooked teeth. Orthodontics or braces is another way to straighten crooked teeth. If you do not want to wear a brace for some time (6-18 months normally) then veneers could be the right option for you, but only if your teeth are not too badly positioned.
- Gaps – A very common problem that porcelain veneers can correct. Gappy teeth can really make people hate their smile. People do not even want to smile sometimes as they are too embarrassed! With Veneers we can evenly close gaps and give you an even smile.
Veneers do involve the drilling of some tooth and the amount depends on various factors such as the amount of discolouration. They are not the right treatment for everyone and in some cases we may recommend different treatments where better clinical options exist. We always remind people that everything we place is second best to what nature gave us.