3 Common Services Offered by a Cosmetic Dentist

A cosmetic dentist is a professional who focuses on the elements that make a smile beautiful and aesthetically appealing. While every cosmetic dentist is different, many offer a general baseline of services for patients based on popularity. Let us review the most common services that you can expect if you visit a cosmetic dentist.

Three services that a cosmetic dentist can offer

Cosmetic dentists shape and sculpt the oral cavity to align with a person’s aesthetic goals. Three of the most frequent procedures they can perform in their office are as follows.

1. Tooth whitening

Few things make a person as self-conscious about their smile as the shade of their teeth. Whether a patient feels that their teeth are a blemished shade of gray or have yellowed over time, tooth whitening services can help.

Tooth whitening comes in many forms, but the options offered by a cosmetic dentist are more potent than what patients can get over the counter. In-office tooth whitening is accomplished using lasers and highly concentrated peroxide solutions that are only accessible through a dental professional. While in-office whitening costs more than OTC kits, it can whiten teeth by multiple shades in just an hour.

Alternatively, a cosmetic dentist can take a mold of a patient’s mouth and create a customized whitening tray for at-home use. The whitening solution provided by the dentist will still be stronger than over-the-counter options, and the tray enables custom coverage that creates more uniform whitening.

2. Gum contouring

In some patients, the teeth appear smaller than average due to encroaching gums. This “gummy” smile occurs when a patient has too much gum tissue, bringing their gumline farther down on the tooth than what people are comfortable with.

The cosmetic dentist can remedy a gummy smile using a process called gum contouring. By removing excess gum tissue, the teeth will appear to be a standard size, thus improving the smile to meet the patient's standards. The gum tissue will not return once it has been removed, so know that gum contouring is a long-term solution.

3. Veneers

Not all tooth blemishes are fixable using whitening. In the case of cracks, chips, stains that do not respond to whitening, or unusually textured teeth, veneers can be a potential solution. A veneer sits on top of a tooth’s surface like a shell, creating a new visible area that is free from blemishes. However, veneers are a long-term commitment, since once they are installed, the patient will need to continue using them for the rest of their life.