Teeth Bridges - In Your Local Area

Cosmetic Dentistry for a Perfect Smile

In most cosmetic dentistry practices, good health and sound oral function are their primary goals. But these days, both can be achieved with a third factor in mind, good looks.

Good looks are all around us. In consumer magazines, TV, media, politics, and business. Both men and women are flashing bright, near perfect smiles. It's a pleasure to see. We're not all born that way, and they probably weren't either. Dental makeovers have contributed to a large part of the self-esteem of models, movie stars, and recently, the grocery clerk or the grandmother next door, who seek cosmetic dental care.

Surprisingly, most tooth restoration procedures are fairly conservative. That is, removal of healthy enamel is kept to a minimum, or dispensed with altogether. Teeth bleaching, tooth bonding and contouring are quick, easy, and fairly inexpensive. Porcelain veneers lend new form and youthfulness to front teeth. Tooth-colored fillings can replace discolored amalgams. A new denture can restore a more youthful appearance. The choices are yours.

Notice the people you know who are proud of their teeth. They smile more often. Great teeth build self-confidence. Most people respond more readily to an attractive smile in a very positive way. The psychology is simple, the impact great.

We are lucky to have new materials and techniques that make a beautiful smile within everyone's reach. Take advantage of cosmetic dentistry, for yourself and the people around you.

Give your cosmetic dentist a call today to find out how your smile can benefit from today's technical innovations.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Cosmetic Dentistry: What Is a Prosthodontist?

A general dentist attends four years of dental school after college and receives training in all areas of dentistry, including fillings, crowns, cleaning teeth, root canals, extracting teeth and much more. At the completion of this training period, a dentist can either go out and open a dental practice or continue on with their education and specialize in any of the above-mentioned areas. For example, an orthodontist is a specialist in braces.

A prosthodontist is a specialist in the restoration and replacement of broken and missing teeth. Their additional training lasts three years. During that time, they are taught in greater detail about both removable and fixed prosthodontics.

Removable Prosthodontics includes replacing missing teeth with appliances that the patients themselves can take in and out of their mouth, such as dentures and partial dentures.

Fixed prosthodontics includes replacing missing and/or broken teeth with restorations that the patient cannot take in and out, such as veneers, dental crowns, bridges and implants.

The most important part of the training is how to restore teeth in a variety of different situations so that the end result is the most esthetic and predictable outcome possible. The types of cases seen in cosmetic dentistry are often more comprehensive and complex in nature. They often involve the combination of crowns and implants or can even be as involved as placing crowns on every tooth in a person's mouth.

To do this, prosthodontists are trained to evaluate all the different aspects of your teeth and mouth. They observe and treat your mouth with regards to:

• esthetics (the overall shape, position, and appearance of your teeth)
• function (how your teeth and jaw joints work together so that you can chew)
• structure (the integrity of the individual teeth)
• biology (the health of the gum tissue around the teeth).

By evaluating these different areas, the prosthodontist can treat one area of your mouth, but also will determine how other areas will impact the treatment. In essence, a prosthodontist looks at your mouth as a whole, even though there may be only one tooth requiring treatment.

Often times, especially in cases involving multiple and/or missing teeth, the involvement of other specialists and cosmetic dentistry will be needed to help with treatment. These specialists include orthodontists (to straighten or move teeth using braces), periodontists (for gum surgeries and placement of implants), endodontists (root canals) and oral surgeons (for the extraction of teeth and placement of implants). In essence, the prosthodontist acts as the coordinator to help sequence the proper treatment before the final restorations are placed. Often times, treatment can take longer to complete, especially if other specialists are involved. In taking a complete approach, you can be assured that you will end up with the most esthetic and reliable treatment, whether it involves one or all of your teeth.

By Greggory Kinzer, DDS, MSD

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.