There are many ways to improve your appearance, but one of the best and perhaps, the easiest, is to visit a Cosmetic Dentist in Annapolis. Cosmetic procedures vary depending on the condition of your teeth with the simplest of them being dental whitening. Whitening is a chemical process that lifts deep-set stains from under the enamel. The procedure is painless and should only take about half an hour to complete. Unfortunately, whitening the teeth won’t work in every case. For instance, if you have overlays, inlays, veneers, caps, crowns or implants then the process cannot change the color of these materials. Of course, most of these materials don’t stain easily, but they can make the other teeth look out of place.
Dental whitening may be the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure, but the placement of veneers runs very close. A Cosmetic Dentist in Annapolis will recommend veneers when the front teeth are slightly damaged, misshapen, discolored or crooked. The placement of veneers has become quite simple with most procedures being completed in one or two visits. This is a vast improvement over earlier methods which required a lot of filing to fit the veneer in place.
Veneers, like caps and crowns, are made from a tough, porcelain shell. Porcelain is preferred because it closely resembles the material that teeth are made from while still being strong enough to handle the stress of biting and chewing. In the case of veneers, the shell covers the front or visible portion of the teeth so they must be fitted tightly and be very well secured.
While cosmetic dentistry is mostly concerned with the appearance of the teeth, it is the health of your teeth that really counts. This means quickly repairing any damage and ensuring that the teeth don’t shift when one is removed. To handle the latter task, the dentist will use an implant. This procedure uses an inert material, usually titanium, secured in the jawbone as an anchor. Once the implant is secure, the dentist will create a crown to fill in the space. The benefits to using an implant include strength and appearance. To learn more about cosmetic dentistry contact the experts at Annapolis Dental Associates.