There are actually several ways to change the appearance of your teeth. Many
times these various procedures are combined in different ways to deliver that smile of
your dreams.
Tooth Contouring and Reshaping
The reshaping of a your teeth is a procedure that
involves the removal of a very small amount of tooth structure to help achieve a more
desirable smile. Chipped or fractured areas are smoothed out and specific angles or edges
can be rounded or squared. Contouring creates better alignment and can create a more
feminine or masculine smile. It is sometimes done to prevent chipped areas from getting
worse. Tooth reshaping is a conservative way to improve the teeth. Since teeth can become
weaker if large amounts of enamel are removed, this procedure is limited to minor changes
or combined with veneers or bonding for a terrific smile.
Dental Veneers
Veneers are sometimes used in conjunction with
contouring. Dental veneers are very thin pieces of specially-shaped porcelain or plastic
that are glued over the front of your teeth with little or no anesthesia needed. They are
the cure for teeth that are severely discolored, chipped, have small holes or pits,
misshapen or crooked, or for the correction of unwanted or uneven spaces. Unlike crowns,
veneers won't require the dentist to remove much of the tooth itself. Veneers are created
from an impression taken in your cosmetic dentist's office. Your custom veneer is then
glued directly onto your tooth. (For more
information about tooth veneers, click here.)
Tooth Bonding
Basically, bonding will cover any natural flaws
applying a thin coating of a plastic material on the front surface of your teeth. After
this, your cosmetic dentist will apply a bonding material sculpt, color and shape it to
provide a pleasing result. A high-intensity light then hardens the plastic, and the
surface is finely polished. This procedure often accompanies contouring and teeth
reshaping procedures. (Follow this link for more
about tooth bonding.)
Next: Prices and cost of the
dental contouring procedure
- Introduction to dental contouring
and tooth reshaping
- What are dental contouring and reshaping?
- Who is a candidate for the procedure?
- Procedure description: Dental contouring and reshaping
- Variations on the procedure
- How much does contouring and reshaping cost?
- Pros and cons of getting a tooth reshaping and contouring
- Before and after pictures - dental contouring
- Personal stories from dental contouring and tooth
reshaping patients
- Discuss contouring on the message board
  
A guide to tooth contouring and reshaping. |
