Understanding the Types of Aesthetic Dentistry
(Part 2)
We now continue with our discussion on the types of aesthetic dentistry as we continue our discussion about the different services that an aesthetic dentist provides.
One of the services an aesthetic dentist provide is bridging. A dental bridge is a prosthetic that uses the healthy teeth on either side of the extraction site or sites as support posts in order to hang the dentures. Dental implants can also be used as support.
The dental bridge may hang on one tooth, known as the cantilever bridge. If a patient has one or more missing teeth, then this is needed. See the dentist to check whether or not bridging is a procedure that is right for you.
Another procedure an aesthetic dentist will be doing is bonding. The composite resin bonding process is when an enamel-like dental composite material is applied to the surface of the teeth. The material is sculpted into shape, hardened, and then polished. It is also used as filling or as tooth cement or a bonding agent for veneer creation.
The dental resin is placed on the tooth’s surface just like plaster and then can be shaped, hardened, and polished like concrete or cement.
This resin is useful with inlays and on lays, which are utilized to repair cracked and decayed teeth.
The resin, however, has certain limits, like if there’s little left of the tooth that can be fixed or if that tooth is a molar. It is best to have the dentist check the teeth to see if bonding works for you.
The aesthetic dentist may also work with filling materials to fix a tooth. In the past, filling materials being used are either gold or silver, as these materials shine and able to blend with the rest of the teeth. Modern dentistry is now using composite materials that blend in better with the tooth structure’s natural appearance.
Meanwhile, implants are artificial tooth anchors or roots that allow the dentist to embed a denture unto a patient’s mouth and make it act like natural teeth. The implant is a great method of teeth replacement because it’s usually drilled right into the jawbone.
Next week, we will conclude our discussion about the services an aesthetic dentist can provide a patient like you.