Vanity for your teeth can come in many shapes and sizes. Apart from making your pearly whites look amazing, cosmetic dentistry can give a person’s teeth the much needed reconstruction commonly associated with dental problems. However, cosmetic dental procedures are not without their own sets of pitfalls that you should be on the aware of. Most medical and dental procedures carry small risks and being informed helps mitigate those risks greatly.
Some of the dental problems that cosmetic dentistry usually tackles are the following:
- Discolored teeth
- Repairing chipped teeth or rough spots with filling
- Using similarly colored materials to fill in cavities
- Reshaping of teeth to give yourself that “perfect smile”
- Closing gaps between your teeth using various methods
- Use of dental bridges or “false teeth” to fill in areas left by missing teeth
Modern dental procedures have given people a variety of options to solve the above mentioned problems with little or minimum fuss. However, you should be aware that not all of these procedures are perfect and that they all have some caveats attached to them that you may not know about.
One of the options for solving problems involving gaps and discolored teeth require the use of veneers. Veneers are usually thin porcelain laminates that bond directly to the teeth. The overall operation may require some shaping of the teeth depending on the circumstance, but many dentists claim that this is a one-time procedure and is considered permanent by all accounts.
However, some studies have shown that only half of the veneer treatments done to a person’s teeth remain stable for 10 years before having the need to do some reconstructive procedures to repair them again. In addition, it has been noted that there have been some long-term damage found in the anterior tooth structure as a result of these “permanent” veneer treatments.
Another quick procedure that people usually take advantage of is the reshaping of their teeth to improve its appearance. This involves removing parts of the enamel to give a person’s teeth better uniformity or to straighten excessively long teeth. In many cases, people use this as a quicker way to fix their teeth as compared to using braces.
What people aren’t usually aware of is that excessive use of this procedure can eventually weaken the teeth’s overall structure and can cause some major problems down the road. While there’s nothing wrong about giving yourself a better looking smile, it might be prudent to at least inquire about some of the long-term risks involved with such a procedure.
Undoubtedly, for people in need of major dental problems, it’s sometimes necessary to give yourself some much needed reconstructive dental surgery to fix those misshapen or crooked teeth. On the other hand, for those people looking for just a quick fix to give themselves a better looking smile, it might be a good idea to at least educate yourself on some of the risks you might be taking by getting that reshaping operation.
In conclusion, making a calculated and responsible decision about it can mean the difference between a short-term decorative payout and a possible long-term biological damage to your teeth. Striking a balance versus your dental needs and wants should always be kept in mind when deciding on this course of action.
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