Dentistry ranks in the top 10 most trusted and ethical professions in the United States today, and many millions of Americans regularly visit a dentist for checkups, oral surgery, and more. Some visits to the dentists office only require routine cleaning or X-rays, and other visits involve the implanting of dental crowns or even dental bridges. A dental practice may be found with an online search, and parents may look for pediatric dentists when their child first becomes old enough to start seeing the dentist. In other cases, dentists specialize in cosmetic dentistry, and this branch of dental options proves fairly popular. Cosmetic dentists get plenty of work, and many Americans are greatly invested in both the health and the appearance of their teeth. A person does not need a tooth infection to feel that a visit to the dentist is necessary. What might these cosmetic dentists have to offer?
Find a Local Dentists Office
To start with, if an interested client does not know a local cosmetic dentist, such as if they just moved to a new city, they can conduct an online search. This should be fairly straightforward, and the client may enter a localized phrase such as “best cosmetic dentist offices Boston MA” or “tooth whitening services near me Dallas TX” to find some local results. In a large city, the client may specify their ZIP code or even their street address to keep the results local. Doing this may bring up a short list of results, and the client may strike out dental offices that do not accept their health insurance policy. The client may then visit the rest in person.
As with most medical care sites, it is a good idea to visit in person and get a fair impression of the staff before making a final decision. The client may also consult the staff working there, such as the dentists and dental assistants, to review their credentials such as their work history, educational background, awards and certifications, and more. The client may visit several different cosmetic dentists offices like this until they find the right one for their needs, and sign up.
After You Visit the Dentist
As the name suggests, cosmetic dentistry involves the aesthetics and shape of teeth, rather than fighting infection. This can be more important than it sounds, since cosmetic dentistry helps boost a person’s smile (most Americans feel that this is important), not to mention restore the shape of damaged teeth. Many forms of cosmetic dentistry can make eating and speech easier when missing tooth material is replaced.
One such cosmetic service is tooth whitening. Most beauty standards call for white, straight teeth in anyone, but tartar or use of tobacco may discolor a person’s teeth. This is often considered ugly, so a patient may visit a cosmetic dentist to have their teeth whitened. In some cases, this involves fitting on porcelain veneers, coatings that restore the dazzling white sheen of teeth. This can improve the patient’s smile, and thus improve their social prowess in anything from a job interview to dates.
Clear plastic retainers can also be made, molded to fit a patient’s unique mouth and teeth. Sometimes, teeth become crooked, but these retainers may help straighten out those teeth, and better yet, such plastic retainers are clear and thus discreet. Retainers can be put onto the teeth and taken off as desired.
Another branch of cosmetic dentistry is to restore missing material. Dental crowns are a popular option, which are realistic, artificial crowns that fit over cracked or worn-down teeth. Once in place, these implants can restore the shape and function of a tooth, both for appearances and to restore the tooth’s function. As a bonus, such crowns can prevent further damage to the real tooth.
Even missing teeth can be replaced with cosmetic dentistry. Molds may be made of the patient’s real teeth to make a realistic replica of the missing tooth, and a dental bridge will be fitted into the gap. This tooth is held in place with covers that fit over the real teeth that flank the gap, hence the name, and the bridge restores a person’s full smile. This also makes eating and speech easier, with a full mouth of teeth.