fillings and other tooth restorations can be made of gold, silver, amalgam and other metals such as veneered porcelain. In today's society dental work can be made entirely of porcelain or composite materials that more closely resembles the appearance of natural tooth structures. These tooth colored materials get bonded to the underlying tooth structure with what is called a resin adhesive.

There are four basic types of cosmetic dental treatment. The first is whitening, or tooth bleaching, which is the most commonly prescribed cosmetic dental procedure. Many whitening options are now available but dentist supervised treatments are the recommended procedures for lightening discolored teeth.

Enamel shaping is the second of four types of dental cosmetic treatment. This removes parts of the contouring enamel to improve the appearance of the tooth. It can be used to correct a chipped tooth or cover and fill in a cavity. Bonding is the third option. This is an option for chipped or cracked teeth. The process takes enamel like dental composite material and is applied to the tooth's surface, sculpted into shape, hardened and then polished. The last type of cosmetic dental treatment is Veneers which is ultra thin custom made laminates that are affixed directly to the teeth. This is an option for closing gaps or disguising discolored teeth that did not respond well to whitening procedures.

Today there is a strong demand for the cosmetic dentist, but you must remember that this is not an alternative to standard dentistry. No matter how good your teeth look the pain you will go through if you do not take good care of your teeth can be unbearable. The dentist will not care how good your teeth look as long as they are healthy. These types of procedures are expensive and for the most part, unnecessary.


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