The smile leaves a lasting impression, and even a minor imperfection in tooth shape can affect your overall appearance. A cosmetic contouring treatment is used to reshape the teeth and make your smile aesthetic. It is a fast and non-invasive dental procedure that slightly alters the shape, length and surface of your teeth.
What is cosmetic contouring?
Cosmetic contouring is a dental procedure that is used to reshape teeth by removing small amounts of enamel. This smoothens the rough edges, corrects minor cracks, and improves tooth length. It is non-invasive, requires no anesthesia, and delivers immediate results in a single visit. Unlike veneers or crowns, cosmetic contouring focuses on little changes to enhance your smile.
The Bel Air MD Dentist can help you to achieve a more balanced and peaceful smile through a minimum amount of effort and maximum outcome.
When Is Cosmetic Contouring Needed?
Cosmetic contouring suits those patients in need of a relatively fast and minor modification to their smile. It is usually prescribed:
- For chipped or broken teeth
- For overlapping or crooked teeth.
- Improper length or irregular teeth
- Teeth with cavities
- To smooth the sharp corner edges
Cosmetic contouring is suited for minor dental problems.
Candidates for cosmetic contouring
It is a cosmetic treatment and not suitable for everyone. The best candidates are individuals who have:
- minor cosmetic flaws.
- healthy gums and sufficient tooth enamel.
- Want a non-invasive and affordable treatment.
- Do not have severe bite issues
- Do not have much tooth decay.
Issues solved by cosmetic contouring
Chipped Teeth
Tiny chip on your front tooth that affects you in speaking and chewing. Contouring helps to smooth the rough edges and provides a natural shape to the tooth.
Uneven Tooth Lengths
Your teeth look slightly irregular or longer than the other teeth. Contouring can carefully shorten the longer teeth and give you a balanced and bright smile.
Minor Overlaps or Crowding
Your lower front teeth slightly overlap or crowd each other. The dentist will smoothen the rough surfaces of teeth to provide you a better smile.
Irregular Tooth Shapes
Some teeth may have small bumps, dips, or uneven edges. Contouring smoothens these imperfections and gives you attractive teeth.
Small Gaps Between Teeth
The teeth have tiny gaps due to their shape. Contouring helps in reshaping the teeth and reducing the space.
Peg Laterals
Some people have small or edged upper teeth. Dental bondings and veneers are common treatments, but contouring also helps a little to shape them better.
Teeth That Look Too Large
Your one tooth feels bigger than the others. It is slightly larger. Contouring reduces its size and brings your natural smile back.
Before a Cosmetic Contouring Procedure
Patients undergo consultation and examination before cosmetic contouring by the dentist.
Oral Health Assessment: gum disease, teeth decay and thickness of the enamel are checked to ensure its suitability.
X-rays/Digital Imaging: These are used to diagnose hidden problems and internal structures.
Goals: Ask the dentist what your requirements are and how much they need to be reshaped.
Customized treatment plan: A personalized procedure is made for reshaping the teeth.
Cosmetic Contouring Procedure
Cosmetic contouring is a quick and non-invasive treatment that’s completed in just one visit at Bel Air MD Dentist.
Step 1: Preparation
After consultation and examination, the dentist uses local anesthesia to numb affected area. The dentist will let you know about it.
Step 2: Treatment Planning
The dentist will examine your mouth with a special pen or device and mark the infected areas that need to be treated. The dentist will inform you about treatment and plans.
Step 3: Reshaping the teeth
The dentist will reshape your teeth using abrasive strips and remove a small amount of enamel to correct their appearance. This ensures that the changes that are made match with the treatment plan that was discussed earlier. In this process, the dentists will
- Smooth the sharp edges to restore a natural smile.
- Adjust the length of teeth by removing a small amount of enamel.
- Round the corner by using instruments
- Reshaped the edges of overlapped teeth and realigned them.
Step 4: Polishing
After reshaping the teeth, the dentist will polish your teeth with abrasive materials and polishing cups to make the teeth smooth and shiny. It prevents the teeth from plaque buildup.
Step 5: Final Restoration
The cosmetic contouring process is complete. You can verify by biting down and ensuring that reshaping has not created any bite issues. The dentist will give you a mirror to see immediate results.
Aftercare and Tips
You need some care after cosmetic contouring.
- Use a toothbrush and floss to maintain your oral health.
- Avoid hard foods like ice and nuts.
- Use a soft-bristle brush to keep the enamel and gums safe.
- Regular dental checkups and teeth cleaning.
Benefits and Risks
Benefits
- Quick Results: Cosmetic contouring can be done in a single visit. There is no need for any lab-made dental crowns.
- Less invasive: Only a small amount of enamel is removed. It may weaken your teeth, as enamel cannot regenerate once it’s removed.
- Affordable: Cosmetic contouring is less expensive than other cosmetic treatments.
- Painless recovery: The outer layer of teeth does not have any nerves. So this procedure is painless, and no healing time is required.
Risk
Too much removal of enamel can weaken your teeth and increase the risk of the following problems:
- Cracked teeth
- Cavities
- Infection
- Permanent tooth sensitivity
Cosmetic Contouring Clinic
When it comes to selecting a cosmetic contouring clinic, keep in mind some aspects to make your experience safe and fulfilling:
- Experience: Select a dentist who has good experience with cosmetic treatment.
- Technology: Select clinics with advanced technology for precision contouring.
- Patient reviews: patient feedback and pre- and post-photos.
- Custom service: A competent dentist takes into consideration your features, such as facial symmetry, smile line and personality, during treatment.
Cosmetic dentists at the Bel Air MD Dentist focus on patient comfort, aesthetic perfection, and long-term oral health.
FAQs
Is cosmetic contouring painful?
No, the procedure is non-invasive. It involves the removal of a small amount of enamel without anesthesia.
Can I get cosmetic contouring with braces or Invisalign?
Yes, cosmetic contouring can be used before or after orthodontic treatment to refine your smile.
How many teeth can be reshaped in one session?
It depends upon complexity, and 1 or 5 teeth are reshaped on every single visit. The dentist will evaluate which teeth need adjustment to balance your smile.
What are the alternatives to cosmetic contouring?
Alternatives to cosmetic contouring are dental veneers, dental bondings and braces that may be suitable for several structural issues.
