The best cosmetic dentistry treatments to improve your appearance and confidence.
Keeping your mouth healthy matters for your overall wellbeing, and neglecting your teeth can lead to other, sometimes serious health problems. But the cosmetic side of dentistry deserves attention too.
Your teeth are a significant part of how you look, and a beautiful smile can change how others see you and how confident you feel at work, in social situations, and in your personal life.
What is cosmetic dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry uses a range of techniques to improve the appearance of your teeth. This can include specialist procedures that remove stains, treatments that repair cosmetic damage, build up missing tooth structure, or correct unevenness and misalignment.
We have all heard about celebrities showing off their perfect smiles. While a 100% Hollywood smile may not be within reach for everyone, modern cosmetic dentistry offers a choice of treatments that can dramatically improve the look of your teeth.
Where is the best place to start?
Teeth whitening is one of the most commonly chosen cosmetic dental treatments in the UK, but there are several other options available, including porcelain veneers, dental crowns, and replacing a missing tooth or teeth with implants. Orthodontic treatment can also have a huge impact on the aesthetics of your smile.
There is also a growing trend for dental practices to offer aesthetic medicine and medical cosmetics – face-rejuvenating procedures that stop short of cosmetic surgery but go further than a beauty therapist can. This combination makes a lot of sense, since both cosmetic dentistry and aesthetic medicine are focused on improving the appearance of the face.
Let’s look at some of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments.
Teeth whitening
The natural colour of our teeth varies considerably from person to person – not everyone wins the genetic lottery when it comes to white teeth.
Lifestyle can make things worse: tea, coffee, and wine all stain enamel with regular consumption. Whitening your teeth at the dentist delivers better results than anything you can do at home. And because it takes place in a specialist setting, it is also considerably safer.
No wonder teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic dental treatment in the UK, chosen by over 40% of patients.
How does it work? The dentist takes an impression of your teeth to make a whitening tray similar to a mouthguard, which is used with a whitening gel. You then simply use the tray with the gel at home every day for a set period of time. Some whitening gels can be worn for up to eight hours, which can shorten the overall time needed to complete the whitening process.
Laser whitening is another type of in-practice whitening system. A whitening agent is applied to the teeth, and then a special laser device is used to activate the whitening. Laser whitening takes around one hour.
The results of whitening treatments are impressive and can last for several years.
Veneers
Porcelain veneers are used to improve the strength and appearance of teeth. They are made to match the natural colour of your teeth as closely as possible, so they fit seamlessly into your smile and are virtually invisible. A thin veneer is bonded to the front surface of the tooth, completely transforming its appearance.
Fitting veneers requires minimal preparation, making it a quick and straightforward cosmetic dental procedure. Porcelain veneers can be used to:
- Improve the appearance of discoloured or stained teeth.
- Straighten the look of teeth.
- Repair damaged tooth enamel.
- Correct the appearance of crooked, misaligned, or differently sized teeth.
- Reduce gaps between teeth. Veneers are affordable, minimally invasive, and deliver spectacular results.
Dental crowns
A dental crown is a cap that fully covers the original tooth, or whatever remains of it, underneath. Crowns can be used for restorative purposes – for example to replace a broken or extensively damaged tooth, or to protect what remains of a damaged tooth – and also to improve the appearance of a tooth.
A crown is usually made from metal, porcelain fused to metal, or porcelain alone, and is attached to the tooth. The existing tooth is shaped down to create a base for the crown. The crown is prepared in a specialist laboratory and is normally fitted to the prepared base at a second appointment.
Crowns used for cosmetic purposes are usually made from porcelain, carefully colour-matched to blend with the surrounding teeth. Metal crowns are also available, and some patients love a flash of gold or silver!
Dental implants
While implants do more than simply look good, their cosmetic role is undeniable. As a permanent replacement for seriously damaged or missing teeth, an implant doesn’t just look like a real tooth – it feels and functions like one, giving you the confidence to smile, talk, and eat freely.
A dental implant has a titanium root that fuses with the bone to provide the strongest possible support for replacing missing teeth. This root forms the base for a crown that mimics the look and function of a real tooth.
It is one of the more intensive dental procedures, involving several visits and considerable preparation – but once the work is done, you have a beautiful new tooth (or a full set) that looks and works as good as new and can last for many years, even permanently. Patients with implants don’t need to worry about missing or damaged teeth for years to come.
