You might not know it, but when it comes to maintaining and enhancing your smile, you’ve likely encountered both general and cosmetic dentistry treatments. It can be hard to tell them apart as these fields sometimes overlap, but they both serve a distinct purpose.
In this blog, we’ll explore what differentiates general and cosmetic dentistry, what their unique services cover, and how understanding their differences can help you make informed decisions about your dental health and aesthetic goals.
What Is General Dentistry?
General dentistry focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating oral health issues. It forms the foundation of good dental care by ensuring your teeth and gums remain healthy.
Common General Dentistry Services
As your first line of defence against dental problems, general dentists provide a wide range of services to maintain oral hygiene and address common dental concerns, such as:
Preventative Care
- Routine Check-ups and Cleanings: Prevents cavities, gum disease, and other oral health concerns by removing plaque and tartar build-up.
- Fissure Sealants: Prevents small anatomical food traps on the top of teeth becoming infected and cavitated.
- Occlusal Splints: Prevents grinding-related injuries such as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD), as well as cracked and damaged teeth.
- Wisdom Teeth Removal: Prevents gum disease and damage to adjacent teeth in hard-to-clean areas.
- Mouthguards: Prevents sports injuries.
Diagnoses
- Diagnosing current and future problems with teeth during routine checkups and, occasionally, during emergency dental visits.
- Diagnosing pathologies related to the periodontal tissues (gums, teeth and bone).
- Diagnosing and screening for oral cancers and other oral pathologies.
Treatments
- Fillings: Arrests any current decay and prevents the bacteria from spreading into the root canal system (nerves and blood supply).
- Root Canal Treatment: Addresses infections inside the tooth to relieve pain and preserve its structure.
- Teeth Removal: Extracts impacted or problematic teeth to prevent crowding and discomfort.
- Periodontal Care: Manages and treats gum disease to maintain healthy gums and prevent tooth loss.
- Teeth Replacements: Prevents teeth movement and restore jaw function. Includes dentures/bridges/implants.
What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?
General dentistry is necessary for everyone, but is that the same case for cosmetic dentistry? How can you tell if you need it?
Cosmetic dentistry may be appropriate for you if you have concerns about how your teeth look. It focuses on enhancing the appearance — and, in some cases, the functionality — of your teeth, gums, and overall smile.
Some teeth issues that cosmetic dentistry can address include:
- Missing teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Discoloured or stained teeth
- Malaligned or crooked teeth
- Chipped, worn, or ground-down teeth
- An off-centre bite.
Popular Services in Cosmetic Dentistry
A cosmetic dentist can help improve the appearance of your teeth with a wide range of transformative procedures, including:
- Teeth Whitening: Brightens discoloured or stained teeth for a radiant smile.
- Porcelain Veneers: they are thin porcelain facings/caps that cover the front of your teeth. They are designed to conceals imperfections such as chips, discoloration, cracks, or gaps. A relatively quick way to improve your smile.
- Cosmetic Dental Bonding: Repairs minor flaws using a tooth-coloured resin for a seamless appearance. Similar to porcelain veneers but they utilise resin bonding technology.
- Dental Implants: Replaces missing teeth with permanent, natural-looking solutions that restore function and aesthetics.
- Dentures and Dental Bridges: Replace multiple missing teeth to improve appearance and restore your ability to chew and speak effectively.
- Orthodontic Treatments: Close gaps between teeth and improve the aesthetics of your smile.
General Dentistry vs Cosmetic Dentistry
General and cosmetic dentistry often complement and sometimes even overlap with each other, with many treatments (such as dental implants, dentures, and dental bridges) improving both oral health and aesthetics. Dental crowns, for example, both protect weakened teeth and improve their appearance.
Understanding the differences between both types of dentistry, as well as how they differ in focus and purpose, can help you choose the right type based on your needs. This enables you to get the best of both worlds: long-term oral health and a smile you feel confident with.
Focus on Functionality vs Aesthetics
General dentistry ensures the proper function and health of your teeth and gums. It addresses issues like decay, infections, and gum disease to keep your mouth healthy. Cosmetic dentistry, on the other hand, can tend towards more aesthetic enhancements such as correcting discolouration, chips, or gaps. Since they do overlap, the type of dentistry you need depends heavily on the condition of your teeth and the issue you need addressed.
Necessity vs. Elective Care
General dentistry provides treatments that are necessary for everyone to maintain oral health and prevent problems from escalating. These treatments are critical to your overall well-being. Cosmetic dentistry, on the other hand, is typically optional and chosen for aesthetic reasons, although some cosmetic treatments are closely linked to dental health improvements as well.
Insurance Coverage
Another key difference between general and cosmetic dentistry is how treatments are covered by insurance.
General Dentistry
Most treatments, such as routine cleanings, fillings, root canals, and extractions, are considered essential services. As a result, they are typically covered, fully or partially, by most dental insurance plans (which have general and preventative dental coverage).
Cosmetic Dentistry
Some cosmetic procedures are elective and primarily aimed at improving aesthetics, which means they are often considered under the “major dental” banner, they may not be covered by certain insurance policies with only “general dental” covetage. Treatments like teeth whitening and resin bonding may still fall under general dentistry in your insurance coverage but other cosmetic procedures such as veneers, crowns, implant restorations, braces, and aligners often fall under “major dental”. Please make sure to check with your individual insurance policies what is covered.
Which Type of Dentistry Do You Need?
The right choice depends on your current dental needs:
- General Dentistry: If you’re experiencing pain, decay, or gum issues, prioritise general dentistry to restore and maintain oral health. Treating these conditions early prevents them from escalating and affecting your overall well-being.
- Cosmetic Dentistry: If your teeth are healthy but you’re dissatisfied with their appearance, cosmetic treatments can help to transform your smile.
Sometimes, more complex issues may require a combination of both treatments. For example, losing a tooth in an accident may require a dental implant to preserve jaw function and oral health, as well as to maintain a natural-looking smile.
Your Smile, Your Choice
At Blackburn Family Dental, we understand that every patient’s needs are unique. That’s why we offer both general and cosmetic dentistry to help you achieve a smile that’s not only healthy but also beautiful. Whether you need routine care, a cosmetic boost, or a combination of both, our experienced team is here to guide you every step of the way.
Don’t wait to prioritise your oral health or enhance your smile. Contact us today and discover how we can help you achieve a healthier, more confident you.