Aesthetic and Restorative Dentistry

Cosmetic dental procedures – more than simply a smile improvement.

Many of our Derby dental patients are attracted to cosmetic dentistry with the intention of improving the way that they look.

However, whilst an aesthetically pleasing smile is certainly desirable, some procedures also work to improve the patient’s oral function and can offer benefits that are more than simply visual.

Aesthetic procedures

Some procedures may be thought of as almost completely aesthetic, but, as well as improving appearance we should also remember that there are additional benefits too, such as improved self-confidence.

The following are two of the most common types of procedure that fall into this category.

Teeth whitening

This is a very popular procedure here at our Derby dentists and for good reasons. Providing that the patient’s teeth are in otherwise good condition, a teeth whitening procedure is a very fast and effective way of improving the appearance of a smile.

Taking only around one hour, most patients will see a significant and near instant improvement in the colour of their teeth following this procedure.

Dental Veneers

Veneers are often thought of as the next stage in improving the colour and uniform appearance of a patient’s teeth. Veneers are generally used for this purpose in cases where the teeth are very badly stained and a teeth whitening procedure would only have a limited effect.

They are also very useful however, for teeth that are cracked or have small chips in them. In essence, a dental veneer is used to replace a very fine layer from the front of the teeth and is attached using dental cement.

Both of these procedures, whilst greatly improving a person’s smile, offer little in the way of functional improvements however.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are an interesting case in that they fulfill a cosmetic role by filling a gap left by a missing tooth but also bring large functional improvements too.

They are placed once a tooth has been lost and, without the use of a dental implant, two things can occur.

Firstly, the bone in the area of the lost tooth can deteriorate and become thinner, sometimes causing the face to have a slightly sunken appearance.

Also, by filling the gap where the tooth is lost, it prevents other teeth from encroaching into the area, so preventing surrounding teeth from becoming crooked.

Preventing this from happening not only ensures that the patient’s smile is attractive, but that the surrounding teeth do not become misaligned and that the potential for bone loss in the area of the missing tooth is reduced. And of course perhaps the largest benefit of all is the ability to eat a full range of food as you would with natural teeth.

If you are interested in a dental implant, or any other cosmetic dental treatment; why not give our friendly team a call at the Derby Dental Implant Centre on 01332 550933.

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