As oral health has improved dramatically over the last century, popular procedures have become less focused on saving damaged teeth and more focused on beautifying already healthy smiles. A cosmetic dentist typically offers a number of cosmetic dentistry procedures, each of which are designed to make smiles look and feel fabulous, a service many are willing to pay great amounts for. In fact, the average cosmetic dentistry patient spends between $5000 and $6000 to improve his or her smile. Here, we’ll review a few of the most popular dental treatments available for the beautification of smiles.

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are thin, custom shells usually made from porcelain that cover the front surface of the teeth. They are used to mask chips and other imperfections and usually last for five to ten years. Veneers can be constructed to match tooth color and shape perfectly, providing a seamless look that is easily incorporated into any smile.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are teeth treatments designed for patients without teeth, though some individuals with very damaged teeth opt to have their existing teeth pulled and replaced with implants. Basically, the process involves implantation of small fixtures into the gums that hold full, permanent tooth replacements that look, feel, and work like natural teeth. Mini dental implants are simply particularly small fixtures used to place only one tooth at a time.

Braces

Though traditional braces are still available, many adults choose to straighten their teeth using Invisalign, an invisible, smooth, and comfortable aligner placed over the teeth to straighten them gradually and seamlessly.

Whitening

In office whitening treatments are among the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedures. Using a peroxide gel and UV light, a dentist can make a patient’s teeth up to eight shades whiter in the course of only 45 minutes. Such procedures are more expensive than at home treatments, but last much longer and involve less of a time commitment.

Some cosmetic dentistry procedures are rather extreme and most are not covered by insurance. Still, they can make a world of a difference for a person’s self esteem by providing improvements to his or her greatest social asset. No procedure should be undertaken without significant thought, however. Do your research before approaching your dentist about major overhauls to your teeth. Learn more about this topic here.