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GENERAL & COSMETIC DENTISTRY
Dentistry is defined as the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment (nonsurgical, surgical or related procedures) of diseases, disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and/or the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body.
Cosmetic dentistry's primary focus is the modification of appearance of a patient's oral cavity and surrounding structures, in conjunction with the prevention and treatment of organic, structural, or functional oral disease.
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Through cosmetic dentistry, the appearance of the mouth can be altered to more closely match the patient's subjective concept of what is visually pleasing.
Dr. Charles Badaoui is our General and Cosmetic Dental Expert
Materials
In the past, dental fillings and other tooth restorations were made of gold, amalgam and other metals -- some of which were veneered with porcelain. Now, dental work can be made entirely of porcelain or composite materials that more closely mimic the appearance of natural tooth structure. These tooth colored materials are bonded to the underlying tooth structure with resin adhesives.
Treatments
Today's common cosmetic dental treatment options include:
* Whitening, or "tooth bleaching", is the most commonly prescribed cosmetic dental procedure. While many whitening options are now available, dentist-supervised treatments remain the recommended procedures for lightening discolored teeth.
* Enamel shaping removes parts of the contouring enamel to improve the appearance of the tooth.[1] It may be used to correct a very small chip.[2] The removed enamel is irreplaceable. It is also known as enameloplasty, odontoplasty, recontouring, reshaping, slenderizing, and stripping.
* Bonding is an option for chipped or cracked teeth. It is a process in which an enamel-like dental composite material is applied to a tooth's surface, sculpted into shape, hardened, and then polished.[3]
* Veneers, ultra-thin, custom-made laminates that are affixed directly to the teeth, are an increasingly popular procedure. They are an option for closing gaps or disguising discolored teeth that did not respond well to whitening procedures.
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