Cosmetic dentistry has moved well beyond the simple quest for bright white, picture-perfect teeth. These days, there’s a wide range of treatments available for various issues, ranging from fixing a tiny chip in your tooth that’s been a longstanding eyesore or going all-in on a dental transformation with a full smile makeover.
Not sure if you might need a cosmetic dental treatment? Here’s a quick look at some of the more popular treatments, what they involve, and who they’re suited to, as well as a few things to consider before you make your dentist’s appointment.
Teeth Whitening
The Basics
Teeth whitening is probably the first thing most people think of when it comes to cosmetic dentistry. This process lightens the natural shade of your teeth and tackles stains that have built up over time to give you a brighter smile.
How it Works
Take home bleaching
The dentist takes a mould of your teeth to fabricate a set of bleach trays. The take home bleach kit consists of relatively lower concentrations of the active ingredients hydrogen peroxide and in some products carbamide peroside. These bleach kits are designed to be used at home and they come in a pack of 10 syringes. The bleach is applied to the custom made trays and the patient wears the trays for an 1hour a day.
In office bleaching
In the chair, your dentist applies specialised isolation materials on the areas that where bleaching is not wanted, example the lip, cheeks, and gums. A relatively high concentration bleaching gel is applied to your teeth. These type of bleach has a catalyst which is activated by an in office UV light. The light is directed to the teeth and it accelerates the bleaching process. The process is repeated 3 to 4 times with the bleach removed and new bleach placed onto the tooth surfaces before each cycle. The total treatment time usually takes about an 1 to 1.5 hours.
Best For
- Coffee, tea, wine, or tobacco stains
- Age-related yellowing
- Teeth that look a little dull overall
Considerations
- Some people may notice some temporary sensitivity after treatment. Less so for the lower concentration take home bleach kits
- The gel can irritate gums and temporary whiten the gingival tissues for a few hours upon contact.
- The results won’t last forever without proper maintenance, especially if diet consists of easily staining foods such as chocolate, food dies, spices, coffee, red wines etc.
Veneers
The Basics
Veneers are thin shells (porcelain or composite) that cover the visible surface to improve the shape, colour, or alignment of your teeth. They essentially act as a new front cover for your teeth.
How it Works
After a comprehensive dental health check and thorough discussion on your aesthetic concerns and requirements, your dentist may take high definition photos of your teeth, smile and face. This is coupled with the necessary radiographs and intraoral scans. The dentist will then work with an aesthetic/cosmetically driven dental laboratory to come up with a smile design based on your requirements and discussion. This is called a “mockup” , it allows the finish results to be visualised without having to touch your teeth.
A separate appointment is needed to try in the new smile design. Often the dentist is able to transfer a temporary material onto your tooth, and show you the new smile design without having to cut/damage any of your teeth. Photos and sometimes videos are taken for the dentist and yourself to assess how the new design looks in your mouth together with your smile and face. Further discussion with the dentist allows your requirements to be accurately visualised, these discussions will be conveyed to the lab technicians involved in fabricating your veneers.
Once the design is set in place, the dentist will be able to go through the procedure in more details, the risks, the fees etc. Once you are happy with all of this, A separate appointment is needed for your dentist to “prepare” your teeth for the veneers.
Your dentist removes a sliver of enamel from the intended tooth to create enough space for the veneer to sit flush on the tooth’s surface. They’ll take impressions to inform the aesthetic laboratory on the creation of your veneers based off the design which was agreed upon previously. The veneers if porcelain often take around 2 weeks to fabricate by the aesthetic laboratory and will then be bonded to your teeth in a separate appointment once ready. Porcelain veneers usually last longer and resist stains better than composite veneers.
Best For
- Stains too stubborn for whitening
- Chipped or worn teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Slightly crooked or uneven shaped teeth
Considerations
- Once the enamel is removed from your tooth, it can’t be replaced. Our dentist are trained to do minimal preparation veneers, this ensures teeth are not cut unnecessarily.
- You’ll still need to be careful with hard foods to avoid damage.
- Often protection in the form of a retainer or splint is recommended to protect your assets from habits such as grinding that are often outside your control when you sleep.
- Veneers may need replacing after several years, more likely with composite type veneers. With porcelain type veneers with stronger porcelain naturally having better longevity.
Dental Bonding
The Basics
Bonding is considered the ‘fast fix’ of cosmetic dentistry. It uses tooth-coloured resin to patch up chips and close little gaps in a tooth, or to tweak the tooth’s shape.
How it Works
The rougher the surface of the tooth, the easier it is for the resin to bond to the tooth. So, the dentist will prepare the tooth by roughing it and applying a conditioning liquid before finally bonding and then layering on the resin. Once the resin is shaped, the dentist will harden it with a special light and polish it smooth. This can often all be done in one appointment.
Best For
- Small chips or cracks
- Tiny gaps
- Slight shape adjustments
- Single-tooth discolouration
Considerations
- Not as strong as veneers or crowns
- The resin may stain over time
- May need redoing in a few years
Crowns
The Basics
Crowns are caps that cover a tooth that has been damaged or misshapen, restoring its look and reinforcing its structure. They protect the tooth from further damage and allow it to maintain reasonable function for chewing and biting.
How it Works
The tooth is reshaped in order to fit a crown, which can involve the removal of damaged portions of the tooth and replacing it with restorative materials to ensure the structure of the crown is sound and free of disease/decay.The tooth may then be prepared to allow sufficient space for the crown materials. Often the reduction of the tooth structure is dependent on the type of crown materials. After that, a digital impression will be taken and sent to an Australian dental laboratory make the permanent crown with. In the meantime, you’ll be fitted with a temporary crown. Crowns can be made of porcelain, ceramic, metal, or a mix.
Best For
- Heavily damaged or decayed teeth
- Teeth weakened after a root canal
- Broken or badly worn teeth
- Discolouration that whitening can’t fix
Considerations
- May require more tooth reduction than veneers. Often is done if there isn’t enough tooth structure to bond a veneer to.
- May rarely come loose due to decay, trauma, or cement erosion
- Some people may experience temporary gum sensitivity after initial fitting
Orthodontics (Braces or Aligners)
The Basics
Orthodontics — which cover braces and aligners — are often seen as a mark of adolescence in the past, but these days they aren’t just for teenagers. Early orthodontics utilise the growth potential of the patient even before adolescence in some cases. Orthodontics can also be utilised by adults alike. Their primary function is to straighten your teeth so that you can improve the aesthetics of your smile; improve function; and also improve cleansibility and health of your teeth and gums.
How it Works
Braces use brackets and wires to move teeth slowly by applying consistent pressure. The brackets are placed upon each tooth, with wires running through them to align the teeth. Every visit, the dentist will tighten the wires a little more to pull the teeth in place. Aligners, like Invisalign®, use clear trays that you change every week as your teeth shift and move gradually.
Treatment time can vary from six months to three years, depending on the case, though the average is around one to two years.
Best For
- Crooked or overlapping teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Overbite, underbite, or crossbite issues
- Preparation for other aesthetic work such as veneers, crown and bridge and sometimes dental implants.
Considerations
- Aligners need disciplined and consistent wearing to achieve results
- Braces can cause some teeth soreness after every adjustment
- The process takes patience
Dental Implants
The Basics
Implants are typically a long-term fix for missing teeth. They act as artificial teeth roots to hold a crown, bridge, or denture in place, which can restore jaw function and prevent bone loss.
How it Works
After determining suitable placement with scans, a titanium post will be surgically inserted into your jawbone. There will then be a healing period to allow the implant to fuse with the jawbone. Following that, the replacement tooth is attached. The whole process can take a few months to complete.
Best For
- One or more missing teeth
- Dentures that slip or feel unstable
- Improving chewing and speech functions after tooth loss
- Healthy patients who prefer a more durable, long-term solution to tooth loss
Considerations
- It is a minor surgical procedure that uses local anaesthesia
- Will incur a higher upfront cost than some alternatives
- Requires healthy bone and gums for it to have long term success.
Dental Bridges
The Basics
A fixed option for replacing one or more missing teeth. A bridge attaches an artificial tooth (or teeth) to crowns on the teeth or implants next to the gap.
How it Works
The teeth on either side are prepared for crowns, which are then joined to the replacement tooth in the middle. Once fitted, the bridge stays in place permanently, restoring both your smile and your bite.
Best For
- Replacing one or a few teeth in a row
- People who prefer a fixed solution to a removable one
- Those with healthy teeth or implants to support the bridge
Considerations
- Supporting teeth will likely need reshaping for the crowns
- May be more expensive than removable options
- May need replacing after years of wear
Dentures
The Basics
Removable replacements for multiple missing teeth, usually made from acrylic or a mix of acrylic and metal. Dentures can be full (all teeth) or partial (just a few) and may be supported by dental implants for extra stability.
How it Works
Impressions are taken of your mouth to inform the dentures customisation. If necessary, teeth may be extracted at this stage. After the dentures are fabricated, which can take a few weeks, there will be a follow-up appointment to accommodate any adjustments if needed.
Dentures can be removed for cleaning and sleeping. Implant-supported versions offer a more secure fit.
Best For
- Replacing several or all teeth
- A budget-friendly solution
- A reversible option (can be removed at will and the jawbone is not altered)
Considerations
- May take time to adapt to eating and speaking with dentures
- May need adjustments over time such as relinement, to compensate for the ongoing remodelling of the jaw bones after teeth removal.
- May be less stable than fixed solutions (unless supported by implants)
Ready to consider one of these treatments? Check out our What You Need to Know About Cosmetic Dentistry Treatment guide for a broader overview.
Explore Cosmetic Dental Options At Blackburn Family Dental
Whether you’re after a subtle enhancement or a complete makeover, cosmetic dentistry offers a variety of treatment options to address many different dental issues people might face. While these treatments can overlap in certain areas, the key is choosing the one that suits your needs, budget, and lifestyle. That starts with an honest conversation with your dentist.
At Blackburn Family Dental, we take the time to discover your unique needs and help you gain a thorough understanding of your available options before recommending suitable solutions. We’re ready to work together with you to transform your smile. Book a consultation with our team today to explore what’s possible.