現代美容牙科：預期效果
Cosmetic dentistry is more popular than ever, from whitening and shaping to closing spaces and replacing teeth. And dentists have a large selection of tools and techniques for improving the look of your smile.
Before deciding to undergo any cosmetic procedure, it’s important to know the benefits and risks and what you can expect during the process. Make sure you’re clear about what it will cost, how much experience your dentist has with the procedure, and whether any special maintenance will be needed afterward.
Crowns
Sometimes called caps, crowns completely cover a tooth, restoring a normal shape and appearance. You may need a crown to:
- Cover a misshapen or discolored tooth
- Protect a weak tooth
- Restore a broken or worn tooth
- Cover a tooth with a large filling
- Hold a dental bridge in place
- Cover a dental implant
- Cover a tooth that’s had a root canal procedure
- Crowns can be made from metal, porcelain fused to metal, resin, or ceramic materials. Because crowns are costly, dentists usually suggest them only when other procedures can’t produce a pleasing result.
Sometimes, a dentist can make an in-office same-day crown, or a temporary crown. Some offices can mill a crown on the same day. The dentist prepares the tooth for the crown, makes molds of the tooth or takes a digital impression, provides you with a temporary crown if sending it to a lab, and then places the permanent crown at a separate time.
Permanent crowns can have a long life if you take good care of them.
Enamel Shaping and Recontouring
Enamel shaping and recontouring (also called odontoplasty, enameloplasty, stripping, or slenderizing) involves removing or contouring dental enamel. The procedure is usually done to improve the appearance of teeth by creating more balance in the look of the smile. Recontouring is the most conservative cosmetic treatment. It’s a quick and painless procedure and the results can be seen right away.
Reshaping and recontouring can be used to improve:
- Crooked or overlapping teeth
- Chipped and irregular teeth
- Minor bite problems
- Bulges or pits in a tooth’s enamel
- The length of the canines (the pointed teeth on the side of your mouth)
You may be a good candidate for reshaping and recontouring if you have normal, healthy teeth, and there’s still enough bone between them.
Because enamel can’t be replaced, recontouring should be carefully considered. The risk involves the thickness of the enamel. If the enamel of the tooth that has been recontoured becomes too thin, sensitivity to heat, cold, and sweets could result.
Bridges
Sometimes called a fixed partial denture, bridges replace missing teeth with artificial teeth. Bridges can be made of gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination. Dentists anchor them onto surrounding teeth after preparing them for crowns. Then a false tooth joins the crowns, and the bridge is cemented onto the prepared teeth. Only your dentist can remove a fixed bridge.
The success of your bridge depends upon its foundation. So, remember that oral hygiene to keep remaining teeth healthy is particularly important if you wear a bridge.
Bonding
Bonding may improve how your teeth look if they have excess space between them, or if they are chipped, broken, stained, or cracked.
Dentists also use bonding materials to fill small cavities or to protect the exposed root of a tooth.
The dentist can usually do this procedure in a single office visit by applying an etching solution followed by tooth-colored materials — sometimes composite resins — directly to the tooth’s surface where needed.
Although bonding can last for several years, it is more likely than other types of restorations to chip or become stained or just wear down.
Other Periodontal Plastic Procedures
An array of other procedures can also improve your smile. They include procedures to help with:
- An uneven gum line
- Teeth that look too short or too long
- Exposed roots
- Indentations in your gums or jawbone
If problems like these are a concern for you, ask your dentist about your best options for correcting them and creating a smile that you can be proud of.
Wanting to improve your smile doesn’t make you vain. It’s hard to feel confident when there’s something you don’t like about your appearance. You might even avoid certain social situations because of it. There are many cosmetic dentistry treatments available, ranging from simple to complex. Talk to your dentist about your specific cosmetic goals. They can design a treatment plan that works for your budget and lifestyle.
