By Hadley Gavin
While a visit to the dentist every six months will be sufficient to maintain your teeth and general oral health, you may be wondering if there are any treatments available to improve the positioning, colour and cosmetic appearance of your teeth. Cosmetic dentistry in Melbourne exists to help patients take the aesthetic appearance of their teeth a step further once good oral health has been achieved. This article will detail what cosmetic dentistry is as well as the most common treatments cosmetic dentists perform.
H2: What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
The practice of cosmetic dentistry was first introduced in the mid-1800s. Seen as a relatively novel and obscure practice at the time, it was initially shunned by many working in dental. Cosmetic dentistry would go on to revolutionise the dental field and create an entirely new field of its own within dentistry.
The term “cosmetic dentistry” describes any dental procedure or treatment whose sole purpose is to change the colour, positioning or aesthetic appearance of the teeth. Cosmetic dentistry treatments can also be used to replace chipped, stained or missing teeth. Cosmetic dentistry in Melbourne is seeing a rapid rise in popularity, with patients often reporting increased feelings of confidence as well as improved oral health as a result of cosmetic dentistry treatment.
What Treatments Do Cosmetic Dentists Perform?
Some of the most common treatments performed by dentists offering cosmetic dentistry in Melbourne include:
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is one of the most commonly requested cosmetic dental treatments. Factors such as age as well as consumption of drinks like coffee and tea can contribute to your teeth becoming discoloured over time. Although discoloured teeth themselves rarely lead to any serious oral health complications, they can have a negative impact on your self-confidence as well as your willingness to show off your smile when taking pictures or attending events.
Clinics that offer cosmetic dentistry in Melbourne will often use a peroxide-based whitening product and specialised lamp in order to restore discoloured teeth. The process is safe, pain-free and requires minimal recovery time. Patients can resume their daily activities immediately after treatment.
Dental Implants
Another popular cosmetic treatment is dental implant treatment. Dental implants are an alternative treatment for those seeking to replace damaged or missing teeth without resorting to dentures. Dental implants are achieved through the use of a screw-like anchor, usually made from titanium, that’s placed into a pre-prepared cavity in the jaw.
The process is usually completed over a period of six months or longer and requires multiple procedures to be completed, as well as long periods to allow the jaw and gums to heal between procedures. Patients often report dental implants to be comfortable and more natural-looking and aesthetically appealing than dentures.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns can be used to restore the cap or crown of a tooth that has been chipped, cracked or worn down over time. Same-day crowns can be manufactured on-site through the use of advanced 3D imaging technology. During the imaging phase, the dentist will produce a precise digital image of a crown to suit the patient’s mouth. This image is then sent to a special machine for production and applied to the patient straight away.
