Almost everyone wants to improve their smile at one point in their lives or another. However, not all dental issues necessitate major dental work. There are some cosmetic procedures that can be quick, easy, and affordable. One of these procedures is tooth reshaping. If you have a few minor issues you would like fixed, you might want to consider cosmetic tooth shaping.
What Is Cosmetic Tooth Shaping?
Also known as odontoplasty or cosmetic contouring, cosmetic tooth shaping is a simple cosmetic dentistry procedure for fixing various tooth deformities, such as cracked, misaligned, chipped, or uneven teeth.
Dentists remove some of the enamel—your tooth’s hard outer layer—using a laser or drill and may apply a tooth-colored resin that bonds to your teeth permanently to achieve a specific shape. For example, if you have particularly sharp canines or if the surface of your teeth are bumpy, your dentist can smooth them with tooth shaping. Since the enamel’s thickness varies both by tooth and by individual, cosmetic tooth shaping may be limited by your teeth’s individual structure.
What Are the Benefits of Cosmetic Tooth Shaping?
One of cosmetic tooth shaping’s biggest perks is that it is quick and pain-free. Your dentist can perform the procedure in a single sitting without using anesthesia or numbing agents, and there is no healing process. Add this to the potential appearance improvements, and cosmetic tooth shaping might as well be the most convenient dental makeover procedure available.
What Are the Drawbacks of Cosmetic Tooth Shaping?
Since cosmetic tooth shaping relies on your enamel’s layout and structure, you might be severely limited by the thickness of your teeth in the areas that need reshaping. Also, most insurance providers do not cover any type of cosmetic dentistry, which means you will have to pay out of pocket for the procedure. However, because it’s a fairly affordable procedure compared to other dental procedures.
Are You a Good Candidate for Cosmetic Tooth Shaping?
While cosmetic tooth shaping can make impressive changes to your teeth and even eliminate the need for costly dental procedures such as braces, cosmetic tooth shaping is only ideal for minor imperfections. After all, cosmetic tooth shaping is only a small element in the grand scheme of cosmetic dentistry.
If you have major dental issues, from uneven gum lines to overlapping teeth or severely crooked teeth, other more advanced cosmetic dentistry procedures might be a better fit for you. In addition to tooth shaping, cosmetic dentistry can offer many tools and procedures you need to achieve a total dental makeover, including veneers, crowns, implants, teeth whitening, and gum reshaping.
That said, if you are considering cosmetic tooth shaping, to be a good candidate, you need to possess healthy teeth and gums. The procedure involves removing bits of your enamel, and your dentist may recommend other methods if you have unhealthy gums, infected tooth pulp, or decayed teeth.
Tooth deformities can impair your self-confidence, but major dental work is expensive and often involves a lengthy healing process. Cosmetic tooth shaping is a quick, pain-free, and relatively affordable alternative for fixing minor tooth issues. Consider visiting a dentist for cosmetic tooth shaping if you have minor misalignment, small chips, or inconsistent tooth length.
