Many people think dental care only concerns oral hygiene and health, but a form of dental care called cosmetic dentistry relates more to appearance than anything else. It focuses on the aesthetics of the teeth and works to change the size, shape, and color of people's dentition. Many cosmetic dental procedures help with both the health and the look of your teeth. One specific issue for both aesthetics and oral health is a cracked tooth. Cracked teeth can create an unsightly smile and even lead to decay and deterioration issues in your mouth as well. Many cosmetic dental procedures can help with this type of common tooth damage.
Bonding, inlays and onlays, veneers, crowns, and even whitening are all cosmetic procedures that dentists commonly use to repair cracked teeth. Read on for specific details about each of these cosmetic dentistry methods and how dentists use them to restore damaged teeth.
Dental bonding, often also referred to as composite bonding, is the use of tooth-colored material on teeth to repair damage and reshape natural teeth. The material often used for dental bonding is composite resin or durable plastic in a malleable form. Dentists spread this resin in and over any cracks or chips in the tooth and then bond, or harden and cure, it in place using ultraviolet light. After the resin bonds to the tooth, dentists can clip, mold, and shine it up to resemble an original, natural tooth as much as possible. When done well, it can be nearly impossible to tell the difference between the teeth that have dental bonding work and those that do not. In addition to making a cracked tooth look and feel whole again, bonding can also help prevent bacteria from accessing the inner portions of your teeth through the crack and causing an infection.
In a similar fashion to dental bonding, inlays and onlays also help erase the appearance of cracks and prevent bacteria from entering these vulnerabilities in your enamel. Inlays and onlays are often referred to as indirect fillings. Dentists create them in a laboratory using images and impressions of your teeth that they take beforehand. Once the inlays or onlays are created, dentists will place and bond them to your teeth. Generally, inlays and onlays are placed on the top of your molar and premolar teeth. They are called inlays if they sit within the natural grooves of the biting surface or occlusal of your teeth and onlays if they cover over one or more points or cusps of a tooth. Inlays and onlays are usually made of enamel-colored resin in cosmetic dentistry, but they can also be made of porcelain or gold.
When there are many cracked teeth present or severe cracks across any of your front teeth, a cosmetic dentist might place veneers on your teeth to cover them up. Veneers are very slim covers or caps that dentists can place over the front surface of your teeth. They are meant to be a permanent solution to these problems and are nearly impossible to remove. To place veneers, dentists commonly shave down the natural enamel and then cement the veneers to this specially prepared surface. They are usually made of porcelain or composite resin to look as natural as possible as well.
Similar to veneers, crowns can also fix cracks in teeth by covering them up. The main difference is that while veneers are thin pieces that dentists place over the front portion of teeth, crowns cap over the entirety of a tooth above the gumline. Your dentist might especially suggest a crown for a cracked tooth if the crack is causing instability or separating the tooth into two or more pieces. Crowns can help keep these types of cracks from widening and maintain the integrity of your teeth. Crowns can be made of many different materials depending on the location of the tooth and the desired result. Cosmetic dentistry generally uses resin, ceramic, or porcelain fused to metal to create crowns, but crowns can be made completely of metal alloys or gold as well.
Cosmetic dentistry can be an excellent way to help eradicated cracked teeth from your mouth. Depending on which cosmetic procedures your dentist chooses to use, they can either fill in and effectively erase the cracks or simply cover them up. Talk to your dentist today about what cosmetic methods might be the right fit to keep your mouth looking and feeling good.
Request an appointment here: https://www.stratusdentalstudio.com or call Stratus Dental Studio at (630) 517-4304 for an appointment in our Carol Stream office.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Cosmetic Dentistry in Carol Stream, IL.
Your first cosmetic dentist visit can be full of anxiety. How do you know what to ask? Do you need to know what you want ahead of time? What if you do not know the answer to a question asked by the dentist? Will you have work done on the same day as your appointment?It…
Wondering whether you can get cosmetic dentist treatments from a general dentist? Read on to learn more. The power of a smile is undeniable. A bright set of aligned teeth can make a person look and feel more confident. A cosmetic dentist combines art and science to produce beautiful smile outcomes.Unlike conventional dentistry, which focuses…
There are a few great dental restoration options for someone needing to repair teeth that are in bad shape. One of the most popular ones is dental fillings, which can be used to restore and renew teeth that are damaged or decayed. Dentists typically recommend fillings for a patient that requires a minor dental restoration…
Dental bonding is one of the many options for a smile makeover. This treatment is used to address cracked, chipped, or broken teeth. It can also be used for concerns with gaps between teeth, discoloration, or uneven lengths among the teeth. Bonding requires a dental professional, but it is one of the more efficient cosmetic…
The experiences children have with a dentist shape the way they view visiting the dental office when they are teenagers and adults. A kid-friendly dentist helps children feel more comfortable. They also offer specialized dental services and educate children on oral health in a manner they (and their parents) understand.A kid-friendly dentist is more than…
You may have heard a lot about dental implants and how they can change your smile and appearance. Implants have many benefits and offer advantages that other tooth-replacement treatments cannot match. You can expect improved health and wellness when you have implants, as well. One of the most significant differences you will see is in…