Thinking About Having Cosmetic Dentistry? Here’s The First Step
The branch of dentistry that addresses the aesthetics of teeth is called Cosmetic Dentistry. Your own Cosmetic Dental goals are likely to be as individual as you are. Perhaps you just need a minor procedure like having a single tooth slightly shortened to match its neighbors. Do you like the concept of having your teeth lightened two to three shades? Maybe you truly want a full smile make-over, that might include changing the size, shape, color and position of your teeth. Let’s explore what occurs after you have decided to make a request for a Cosmetic Dental treatment with your dentist.
Your venture into cosmetic dentistry will always start with a consultation. It is important that you’ve got a really clear idea about the changes you desire- it can be useful to bring in pictures of the teeth you have in mind to show your dentist what you are hoping to end up with.
The dentist will ensure they are completely up-to-date about your health: medical and dental. It’s very important to reveal all of the details, particularly if you have got any medical conditions or are taking any prescription medications. Sometimes the dentist will need to change their treatment plan to accommodate certain health conditions: failing to do so could mean that the treatment won’t work out as well as you and your dentist had wanted.
Next, your dentist will do a detailed inspection of your teeth: they should also appraise the state of your gums, and might also assess your jaw joints and your bite. They will usually order x-rays of your teeth to establish whether there’s any un-diagnosed decay or gum disease: dentists will seldom get started with cosmetic treatment if there is active dental decay or gum disease present.
The final procedure that your dentist may do is to get some impressions of your teeth: they are going to use these to make “study models” or “study casts” of your teeth. This permits the dentist to look at your bite more closely, which can be a critical part of treatment planning if the treatment is complicated. With all this information, your dentist will develop a treatment plan designed to achieve your Cosmetic Dental goals. Most dentists are able to explain complicated treatments very well: but be sure to ask questions about anything that hasn’t been explained clearly.
The Corinna Dental Group provides a broad range of cosmetic dentistry procedures. Canberra dentist, Dr Chris Hardwicke, invites you to learn more about cosmetic dentistry by visiting the Corinna Dental website.