Cosmetic Dentistry¡XIs It For Me?

In the last few years, there have been numerous advances made in cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry procedures have become more and more popular and routine, making them available not just for the incredibly wealthy. Knowing whether or not cosmetic dentistry is right for you depends on what kind of dental problems you have, along with the opinion of your dentist and your own personal preference and desires.

Cosmetic dentistry is a great way to correct problems that might not be serious in terms of your day to day health, but have serious affects on your self confidence, self perception, and your success in the workplace and socially. Here are some of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures:

ƒÞ Tooth bleaching

ƒÞ Tooth whitening

ƒÞ Laser tooth bleaching and whitening

ƒÞ Dental veneers

ƒÞ Porcelain veneers

ƒÞ Tooth crowns

ƒÞ Composite veneers

ƒÞ Dental implants

ƒÞ Mini dental implants

ƒÞ Dental bonding

ƒÞ Dental bridges

ƒÞ Dental tooth contouring

ƒÞ Dental tooth reshaping

Let¡¦s go through some of the pros and cons of one cosmetic dental procedure in particular:

Porcelain veneers

There are a number of pros of porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are a thin and carefully contoured piece of material that is bonded to your teeth. They are the color of teeth. It is virtually impossible for people to detect porcelain veneers on your teeth. They are excellent for anyone who has minor aesthetic problems with their teeth, along with chipped teeth, cracked teeth, pitted teeth, or discolored teeth.

Here are some of the pros of porcelain veneers:

1. They are stain resistant.

The ceramic nature of porcelain means that its surface is smooth and impervious to stains. The typical culprits¡Xcigarettes, coffee, and wine¡Xno longer have to be a concern.

2. They have an incredibly realistic appearance.

One reason why porcelain veneers are so popular is because they share a lot of the same optic properties of enamel. They reflect light well, and have similar texture.

3. Durability

Porcelain veneers can last up to 15 years, as opposed to the 7 year life of composite veneers.

Here are some of the cons of porcelain veneers:

1. They are somewhat fragile.

Overall, porcelain veneers are relatively strong and can stand a lot of use. However, if you grind your teeth, or if you eat any hard food, like nuts or hard candy, you can chip and/or break your porcelain veneers. The repair and the replacement can be very expensive.

2. They are pretty expensive.

Porcelain veneers are expensive. Each veneer can cost anywhere from $500 to $1000. That¡¦s a lot of money for just one tooth; multiplying that amount for each tooth can really add up.

3. They are artificial.

Even though porcelain veneers look incredibly realistic, they are still not a natural solution to your dental problems. This might not be a concern for some people, though it might be for others.

4. One of the side effects is increased tooth sensitivity.

The process of applying porcelain veneers requires that enamel be removed from your teeth. This can increase the sensitivity of your teeth to hot and cold, and to any foods with high acidity.

5. You might not be a candidate for porcelain veneers.

You need to have healthy teeth to be a candidate for porcelain veneers. This means that your teeth cannot have serious decay or periodontal disease. If your teeth are weakened or don¡¦t have much enamel on their surface, or if you have bruxism (you clench your teeth), you are not a candidate for porcelain veneers.
You may not be candidate ¡V If you have unhealthy teeth (for example, those with decay or active periodontal disease), weakened teeth (as a result of decay, fracture, large dental fillings), have an inadequate amount of existing enamel on the tooth surface, or suffer from bruxism (teeth clenching).

Porcelain veneers demonstrate the general pros and cons of cosmetic dentistry. While cosmetic dentistry can work wonders, many of the solutions are still artificial and they are almost all fairly expensive. However, cosmetic dentistry is a great solution for a large number of people. Talk to your cosmetic dentist about your options and whether or not you are a candidate for cosmetic dentistry.