Traditional dentistry has existed for ages as a way of preserving oral hygiene and diagnosis as well as prevention and treatment of oral diseases. However, cosmetic dentistry is emerging as a method of upgrading dental appearance and restoring dental defects as seen in the news right on satellite TV and even in magazines.

As media reports suggests, these days, fillings are made from porcelain, which is undetectable and leaves teeth looking natural. This is as opposed to amalgam and gold feelings used formerly, which left teeth looking darker and unnatural.

Chipped, decayed or discolored teeth can now be fixed by composite bonding which is applied into the cavity or surface of the tooth, sculpted into shape and then hardened with a high intensity light. Since it looks like enamel and feels like dentin, it is able to blend seamlessly and create a perfect smile.

Another common cosmetic dentistry procedure, according to a Cosmetic dentist, is teeth whitening, which corrects the effects of teeth discoloration for any reason. If whitening fails to work, dental veneers can be used since they are porcelain laminates that are bonded to the tooth surface.

They also correct severe cracks and chips. One should however not undertake this procedure if they have a tendency to clench their jaws since the veneers end up chipping, cracking or breaking.
Prosthetic dentistry is another facet of cosmetic dentistry which involves the replacement of teeth by artificial ones. This, however, should be done only when bone growth is fully developed and is thus, an absolute no-no for children.

If one is unhappy with their smile, a smile makeover can be done to correct this. It combines several procedures such as gingival sculpting, getting dental implants, veneers and teeth whitening on several top and bottom teeth.. Full mouth reconstruction corrects functional problems that involve the teeth and bone structure, muscles and bite.

Cosmetic dentistry is now being looked upon as a way of perfecting those hitherto not-so-happy smiles, and media reports support this. Although they are not essentially covers by dental insurance, they are worth the end-result.

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