Methods of Tooth Contouring

Updated on May 17, 2020

Most people think that all it takes to have a ‘perfect’ smile is pearly white teeth. Though important, you might have the whitest teeth but have some cracks or irregular-shaped teeth which still affect the quality of your smile.

Your genetics and trauma are the biggest influencers of the orientation and shape of your teeth. You might thus believe that there is nothing much you can do about it. In Meridian, however, there is a solution at a dental care clinic for misshapen teeth.

This solution lies in enameloplasty which is also called tooth contouring, reshaping or sanding. The procedure involves the removal of a small amount of your dental enamel to change the shape and length of one or several teeth.

There are also appliances used in cosmetic dentistry to get the perfect shape for your teeth. Here are details on these alternatives.

Bonding

This procedure is the most common option for the changing of your teeth’s shape. Here, your dentist like this Dentist in Los Angeles will bind a tooth-colored resin to your teeth using a curing light and specific adhesives. This resin will fill in the gaps in your teeth and straighten any rough edges or chips.

When well taken care of, dental bonding can last for at least ten years and withstand the normal pressures on your teeth without wearing out.

Crowns

These are sometimes called caps and are fitted over your existing teeth in much the same manner as caps. The crowns will be permanently cemented on your irregularly shaped teeth using a special resin and curing light.

There are different materials used for dental crowns, but porcelain and gold are the common ones. The fitting of dental crowns can be fully customized and will take less time compared to dental bonding.

Veneers

These are thin shells generally made of porcelain which are used to alter the shape of your front teeth. There are different methods of applying the veneers to guarantee they are not very apparent and are strong to withstand biting forces. Dental veneers are cheaper than crowns and will be customized to match the color of your natural teeth.

Re-Contouring

This option involves the use of dental drills and other instruments to re-shape your misshapen teeth. Re-contouring will smooth the edges of your teeth or cracked teeth and give them a better shape and even texture.

There are no materials added to your teeth after re-contouring though the dentist might recommend a tooth whitening procedure afterward so that your teeth have a uniform color. The re-contouring procedure will take about half an hour, and the whitening can be done at a later date to avert the discomfort of doing it immediately after the re-contouring.

The above teeth contouring options are inexpensive and painless. They will not only boost your smile’s quality but your overall dental health. This is because they seal the cracks and spaces in your teeth where plaque might accumulate since they are hard to clean.

Other than re-shaping your teeth, the above procedures can be used to fill in minor gaps in your teeth. As such, they are a far cheaper and faster-acting alternative to the use of orthodontic braces for straightening crooked teeth.

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