A winning smile can go a long way in making you look better and feel more confident. While dental hygiene, traditional orthodontics and the familiar cleaning and surgery done in the name of good oral health does improve your smile to a degree, cosmetic dentistry takes it one step further. Cosmetic dentists go beyond fillings, cavities, crowns and caps and delve into the more artistic side of crafting a gorgeous smile and a healthy looking set of teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can range from professional tooth whitening to porcelain veneers and dental implants. With cosmetic dentistry, you can close gaps, replace missing teeth, smooth out chipped or cracked teeth, whiten your teeth (removing that stained, yellowed look from coffee, smoking and again) and more.
The fundamental differences between a traditional dentist, who you may visit once every six months to a year for regular checkups, cleanings and root canals, and a cosmetic dentist is similar to the differences between an everyday surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon. Plastic surgeons, for example, are doctors who have undergone the typical medical school training and residencies and later chose cosmetic work as his or her specialty. With cosmetic dentists, it’s much the same—these are dentists with D.D.S. behind their name and formal education on their resumes. But on top of the basic academic work, residencies and approvals from medical boards, cosmetic surgeons have additional training that helps them create more beautiful smiles for their patients.
Because cosmetic work for your teeth is often elective, it isn’t always covered by insurance. But just like with cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery, you can often find low cost financing options to make your cosmetic dental work possible.