Missing, broken, or misaligned teeth are aesthetically unpleasant and hamper normal oral functions like eating and speaking. While restorative dental services treat primary dental conditions, a cosmetic dentist will deal with dental aesthetics. However, before treating any dental aesthetics, a cosmetic dentist will look for underlying dental conditions and recommend treatment.
Often people are confused about the actual function of a cosmetic dentist. A cosmetic dentist Melbourne will enhance the look of your mouth, teeth, and gums. The treatment provided by a cosmetic dentist may not be functional, but it will enhance your confidence. This post will discuss procedures performed by a cosmetic dentist to treat misaligned and missing teeth.
Braces and Invisalign For Teeth Alignment
Crooked and misaligned teeth could be a cause of concern for many. Not only does it hamper the appearance of your smile, but it also poses difficulty in cleaning the teeth leading to cavities and gum diseases. Chewing food becomes difficult and leads to speech problems like lisping. Over the years, many treatments have evolved to realign the teeth and augment your smile.
Braces: The conventional braces or brackets that get fixed directly to the teeth with wires secured tightly between them are the widespread treatment given to align teeth. Over time, the wires act upon the teeth, shift them by small degrees, and bring them to the desired shape. The braces are readjusted several times during the entire treatment. Braces treatment is evident to the people around and makes the person conscious about wearing them.
Invisalign: Invisalign is customised braces that are invisible and are made of durable plastic. The Invisalign is undetectable, and the people around you do not have to know you are undergoing the treatment. Since the trays can be easily removed while eating and brushing the teeth, it becomes easier to maintain oral hygiene. The drawback of Invisalign is that the compliance depends on the patient, and that will influence the results.
Lingual Braces: Lingual braces are alike old-style, i.e., traditional braces but are put on the backside of the tooth. They are not visible and are a better option than conventional braces, especially for teens who might get conscious about their image. One drawback of lingual braces is that it is hard to preserve your oral hygiene.
Dental Implants to Replace Damaged Teeth
A dental implant is a solution for conditions like gum disease and missing teeth. The surgery includes placing a biocompatible metal into your jaw. Also, an artificial tooth is attached to it. Dental implants will involve both orthodontists for placement of the teeth and cosmetic dentist for the prosthetics. Following are the different types of dental implants: -
Endosteal: These are the most common type of dental implants which is inserted in your jawbone by the tooth root. This process is beneficial for people with good overall gum health and sufficient jawbone. It is a multi-step process involving abutment installation and attachment, osseointegration, and implant placement.
Subperiosteal: This process is specifically suitable for patients who have less jawbone to support dental implants. The implants fuse to the gums on top of your jaw. The gums grow over the frame supporting the artificial teeth. This procedure is accomplished in lesser time compared to endosteal implants.
The cosmetic dentist can suggest a range of dental treatments depending on the patient’s dental condition— single tooth replacement, multiple tooth replacement and full-arch replacement. Besides treating the misaligned and missing teeth, a cosmetic dentist can treat many other ailments like discoloured teeth, misshaped teeth, and chipped teeth.
Conclusion
Dental aesthetics could help improve a person’s smile by treating various ailments. Braces can effectively treat misaligned teeth over time, and dental implants can replace missing teeth and restore the teeth structure. The dentist will assess your dental condition for any underlying conditions and suggest treatments that will be best for you.