Navigating the World of Aesthetic Dentistry: Trends and Techniques

Aesthetic dentistry was introduced decades ago, and in today's generation and era, it is a prerequisite as the patient comes to the clinic asking about tooth color restoration, how they can enhance their smile curve, and so on. So let's discuss aesthetic dentistry in detail today, including its types, etc.

Primarily, cosmetic or aesthetic dentistry is the compilation of art and science.

For successful cosmetic practice in the clinics, the staff must understand the principles, smile ensign patterns, and different case protocols. The main function of dental treatment is to replicate the lost tooth structure and design smiles pleasantly and appealingly.

Aesthetic dentistry is not a separate category of dentistry as it is one of the stages that is being achieved during the procedure with the help of different materials and tools.

Benefits Of Cosmetic Dental Treatment:

There are numerous benefits of applying cosmetic dentistry in daily practice and here are a few of them.

Appearance: Aesthetic dentistry effectively and rapidly improves the appearance of teeth and the patients don't feel ashamed of stained, spaced, or chipped teeth which in return also helps build confidence and liberation while smiling.

Age: Teeth become darker as the person ages. There are a plethora of factors that contribute to the teeth' color such as staining, discoloration from food and sodas, etc. With the help of aesthetic dentistry, one can achieve shiny colored teeth.

Oral hygiene: Not only oral hygiene but also the right treatment helps to improve both the dental and the overall health of the individual. Removing periodontal issues through cosmetic dentistry can help fight off many health issues as studies have stated the relation between heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and health. Cosmetic treatments help strengthen the teeth, correct spaces, and alignment and directly improve the overall health.

Durable: One advantage of cosmetic dentistry is its durable and long-lasting results with no to minimal side effects making it the treatment of choice for day-today cases.

Quality of life: Small oral health issues are often ignored by the patient however they can become serious with time so proper consultation and treatment planning help alleviate the quality of life.

Difference between Aesthetic and General dentistry:

A GP treats problems associated with pain, hypersensitivity, gingivitis, scaling, and restorative procedures such as Extractions, Fillings, etc. At the same time, an aesthetic dentist makes dental veneers, composite fillings, inlays, and onlays.

There are several areas where both general and cosmetic dentistry are convergent. For example, dental veneers are cosmetic because they mask stained teeth, but they could be considered a restorative treatment as they protect the surface of a tooth from damage. Tooth bonding is a cosmetic procedure, but the resin can be applied to a cavity to repair the affected tooth. Dentures enhance appearance by filling gaps and at the same time, they address problems such as biting difficulties and slurred speech. The replacement teeth of dental bridges will restore your smile, enable a correct bite function, and prevent remaining teeth from shifting out of place. An alternative to dentures and bridges, dental implants can transform a patient’s life in terms of both functionality and aesthetics.

Popular Techniques in Aesthetic Dentistry:

Here are the 7 most common cosmetic dentistry procedures:

Tooth whitening:

Every 3 or 4 procedures now are related to tooth whitening in the clinic as types of habits such as smoking, drinking, and having to stain due to the food we eat or the drinks patients consume daily there are dull, stained, discolored yellowish teeth for which teeth whitening or bleaching is performed to achieve natural appearing teeth.

Dental Veneer:

This procedure involves the preparation of enamel followed by its impression, as this is custom-made and made of porcelain material. This thin covering bonds to the tooth structure, resulting in aesthetically appealing results. It can also fill in gaps between teeth and fix the appearance of crooked teeth.

Dental Implant:

Nowadays, more than FPD or RPD, implants are the treatment of choice for replacing missing teeth. Implants are permanent and function like regular teeth. Titanium screws are placed inside the jaw bone, followed by the crown.

Crown:

A crown or cap is the process of a customized crown covering the tooth. In this, acrylic or porcelain are fused to the metal screw. The same technique is applied to implant a bridge. This allows the use of surrounding teeth as support to replace a missing tooth.

Inlay and Onlay:

These are known as indirect fillings made in the dental lab. With little to no damage, an inlay is loaded directly to the tooth surface, whereas an onlay is used when a significant portion of the tooth is damaged to cover the tooth's entire surface.

These dental composite fillings, porcelain, or ceramic are attached to the teeth with adhesive dental cement. They support strengthening teeth, restoring their shape, and avoiding further decay or deterioration.

Composite bonding:

In this process, the decayed teeth are repaired or restored using the tooth-colored material known as dental composite fillings. After removing the carious portion, the etchant is applied, followed by the bonding agent and composite. The composite filling is sculpted according to the cusp structure and cured after that.

Ortho procedures:

Braces and now aligners are a popular and well-expected treatment of choice by patients. Orthodontic treatments, also known as braces, are a vital part of cosmetic dentistry that can help align teeth and correct bite issues. Orthodontists use brackets, wires, and bands to shift teeth into their proper position over time slowly. This procedure can help with crowded teeth, gaps, and bite problems.

Conclusion

Aesthetic dentistry is a go-to procedure nowadays and to achieve success in this domain, one should have technical and clinical knowledge. Treatment planning is a prerequisite along with understanding the patient's expectations from the procedure. Aesthetic or cosmetic dentistry helps enhance the smile, Brighten dull, stained teeth, balance, and symmetry the smile curve, repair minor chips, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Q1- What are the most popular techniques in Aesthetic Dentistry today?

Most popular techniques include Adhesive restorations, Direct bonding, dental Veneers, Bleaching, etc.

Q2- What should I expect during a cosmetic dental consultation?

During cosmetic dental treatment, individuals should expect the following things-

Clinical history and examination.

Radiograph examination- may take X-rays to learn more about oral health.

Discussion: The dentist will discuss what are the patient's expectations.

Examples: Dentist will show examples of their previous work and related cases treated in the clinic.

Q3-Can Aesthetic Dentistry fix functional dental issues?

Yes, aesthetic dentistry fixes the dental issue as it aims to improve the appearance of teeth, gums, and para-oral structure while improving the function of the teeth. The goal of the treatment is to provide functional teeth that help in both speech and mastication.