Cosmetic Dentistry Beverly Hills

What is Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry is defined by wikipedia as “dentistry that improves the appearance and function of a person’s teeth”. But creating a pleasing result using cosmetic dentistry is much more than that. If you were to think of the mouth as a Theatre stage, the lips are the curtains for the stage and the teeth are the individual actors. For a successful performance everything has to be working together. The goal of cosmetic dentistry is for all of the mouth, lips and teeth to be working together for a beautiful presentation.

Initial Cosmetic Dentistry Consultation

The initial consultation for cosmetic dental work usually takes about an hour. X-rays are taken of the teeth to check for any gun disease or tooth decay. The cosmetic dentist will then often take digital photographs to be used in planning out what will be done to the patient. The patient’s wants and expectations are then discussed. Do they want a Julia Roberts smile, or Jessica Alba? How white would they like their teeth to be? Are they missing teeth that need to be replaced? All of these questions are important to coming up with an ideal cosmetic dentistry outcome.

Cosmetic Dentistry Preparation

Once the dentist and patient have agreed upon a cosmetic dental treatment plan, the preparation work begins. Models are made of the patient’s mouth and a dental laboratory will use these to make a wax mock up of what the cosmetic dentistry will look like. This is then shown to the patient by the dentist and adjustments are made. The dentist will often have the patient bring in photos of smiles that the patient likes. After this the real work begins.

Cosmetic Dentistry Treatment

The patient comes in for their cosmetic dentistry treatment appointment. Depending on what type of procedures are performed, this may take anywhere from 1-6 hours. The teeth are prepared by the dentist, and temporary cosmetic restorations are placed. It usually takes about 2 weeks for the laboratory to create the patient’s new cosmetic smile. Once it is done, the cosmetic dental restorations are tried in the mouth, and the patient is shown the new smile for final approval. Once approved, the dentist cements the cosmetic restorations, and the patient has a new smile.

Cosmetic Dentistry Follow-up

Usually, a few weeks after the cosmetic dentistry is completed, the patient will come in for a follow up visit. At this appointment the dentist may make adjustments to the cosmetic dentistry such as shortening a tooth or adjusting the bite. After that, a final polish is placed on the restorations.

Cosmetic Dentistry Options

Some of the options involved in cosmetic dentistry include porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns, porcelain bridges, dental implants, teeth whitening, replacing silver fillings with white fillings and orthodontics.

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