Not happy with your teeth, modern cosmetic dentists can change the appearance of your teeth. Cosmetic dentists are professionals who specialize in diagnosing and treating any concerns related to teeth. They have been gaining a lot of popularity lately in the industry due to their demand. Even though we don’t need cosmetic dentists in living, it surely can bring confidence back to our smile. 

If you want to change the appearance of your teeth or have any teeth-related concerns, you need a professional dentist. Cosmetic dentists in Los Angeles are professionals who can deal with any teeth concerns including gums, teeth, and mouth.    

Reasons to visit a cosmetic dentist

Here are some of the reasons why you need a cosmetic dentist: 

Teeth whitening

Our teeth become stained as we age. It might be from our foods or drinks, our medicines, or other behavioral habits like smoking. So, people mostly adults undergo teeth whitening cosmetic procedures to make their teeth lighter. And guess what, it is most least expensive cosmetic procedure.   

Teeth whitening cosmetic procedures include five steps:

• Recording the shade: In this step, the dentist first records your teeth shade. This is to know how much your teeth’s shade has been whitened after the procedure.
• Cleaning and polishing: In this step, the dentist will use pumice to clean your teeth from plaque, tartar, and other unwanted debris. Once the cleaning process is done, the dentist will polish your teeth to remove any left-out materials. 
• Applying the whitening gel: The dentist carefully applies the whitening gel on your teeth surface while keeping your lips, gums, and tongue away from the gel using retractors. This product will stay on your teeth for about 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.
• Rinsing: In this step, the dentist will thoroughly rinse the product off. The dentist might brush your teeth as well after rinsing. 
• The fluoride treatment: In this last step, the dentist will brush your teeth with fluoride varnish. This keeps your teeth shiny and sustains its whiteness for a long period.  

However, you might experience a bit of temporary tooth sensitivity after the whitening procedure. No worries, this will go away in no time. 

Another technique to make your teeth shade lighter is using over-the-counter kits like toothpaste and Whitestrips. This technique might show some results but not as good as professional teeth whitening procedures. 

Dental implants 

Cosmetic dental implant is for people with a missing tooth or severely decaying tooth. These implants are customizable i.e. they are made similarly to the patient’s natural teeth, having the same shade and shape. The entire procedure of a cosmetic dental implant may take a few months to complete. Dental implant procedures include 6 steps:

• Damage tooth removal

In this step, the dentist removes your severely damaged tooth. 

• Jawbone grafting

The jawbone grafting step is only used in people whose jawbone is not thick enough to support the implant. That is because the chewing actions of your mouth put strong pressure on your jawbone. Therefore, the surgery might fail if your jawbone can’t support the implant. A jawbone grafting can create a strong base for your implant. 

• Dental implant placement

In this step, the surgeon will make a small cut on your gum to expose the bone. The surgeon then places the dental implant metal post after drilling holes into your bone. This metal post is deeply implanted into your bone as it will serve as your teeth’s root. 

• Bone growth and healing

Once the dental metal post is placed, osseointegration begins. During this process, your jawbone gets fused to the surface of your dental implant. Though this process might take a couple of months but does provide a strong base for your artificial tooth.   

• Abutment placement

When the osseointegration process is completed, you might need to undergo another minimally invasive surgery to place the abutment. During this surgery, the surgeon will reopen your gum to expose the implanted dental post. Then, attached the abutment with the dental implant. Later, the surgeon closed the gum tissue but not above the abutment. The surgeon then waits for your gum to heal completely before moving on to the last step.   

• Artificial tooth placement

In this last step, the surgeon will place your desired artificial tooth. That is, if you choose a removable artificial tooth, the surgeon will attach it to your dental implant. The removable artificial tooth can be removed easily to clean it every day. If you choose a fixed artificial tooth, the surgeon will permanently be cemented or screwed into the implant abutment. Once this gets fixed, you cannot remove it for cleaning.

Dental crowns

Dental crowns cosmetic procedure is for people with damaged or decayed teeth. This dental crown protects your weakened teeth from breaking. Also, it can be used to cover misshapen teeth or severely stained teeth. 

Dental bonding

The cosmetic dental bonding procedure is used in treating minor teeth-related concerns such as cracks, decay, and misshapen teeth. During this procedure, the dentist applies moldable resin or your teeth and hardens the material with a dental device. Later, the dentist trims, shape, and polish it to give you a more natural look.