Cosmetic Dentistry Is Not Just Superficial and Can Improve Your Smile and Overall Oral Health

Aug 31, 2020

Are you one of the many Americans that believe cosmetic dentistry is only to improve the superficial appearance of the individual and provides no benefits to your overall oral health? Cosmetic dentistry is a division of dentistry focusing entirely on enhancing the appearance of your mouth and teeth.


Besides improving the appearance of your teeth and mouth, different types of cosmetic dentistry that will help you are also available. The procedures will provide better functionality to your teeth and improve their appearance to enhance your smile. If you have worn, discolored, misshapen, misaligned, chipped, or gapped teeth, your overall health will be impacted because you cannot maintain excellent oral hygiene.


Cosmetic dentistry focuses on dental procedures to give you healthier teeth and a better smile. Some people are born with crooked or misaligned teeth that need to be straightened. However, other factors can also necessitate cosmetic procedures. Problems can also impact teeth affected by bruxism, use of pacifiers, tongue piercing, or eating hard foods. They may need cosmetic dentistry procedures to repair the size and shape of the teeth, jaw alignment, overall appearance of your smile, teeth discoloration, and position.



Cosmetic dentistry procedures are relatively safe, but some treatments performed by inexperienced professionals can permanently damage teeth. Therefore if you wish to avoid the lasting adverse effects of cosmetic dentistry, you must discuss your options with your dentist. Ensure that you understand what your chosen procedure involves before you agree to the same. Your goal should be to shine with cosmetic dentistry and not to have unwanted problems in your mouth.

What Are the Common Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures?

The cosmetic dentist in Sterling , VA, can perform various procedures to make minor changes and significant repair work. The methods offered by this dentist include:

Teeth Whitening

The popularity of teeth whitening is growing significantly every day because this cosmetic procedure is performed by the dentist to make discoloration from the teeth disappear to make them a few shades whiter. Enamel discoloration is a problem that arises from everyday activities like drinking coffee, tea, red wine, taking specific medications, and lifestyle habits like smoking.

Teeth whitening is performed in office after the dentist examines your teeth and decides the appropriate concentration of whitening agent that must be applied to your teeth. The procedure may require multiple appointments lasting for approximately 45 minutes to one hour each.

Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is a procedure where a tooth-colored resin is applied to repair small cavities, cover the tooth surface to change its color and shape, or close gaps between the teeth. The composite resin is bonded to the teeth that are chipped or decayed. Dental bonding can last for years but is susceptible to chipping and staining and needs to be redone when necessary.

Dental Veneers

Thin pieces of porcelain or plastic fitted over the front surfaces of the front teeth are known as veneers. Dental veneers can alter the color or shape of the tooth and can be used to enhance the appearance of discolored, chipped, poorly shaped, or crooked teeth. Veneers are also useful for repairing chipping from factors such as tongue piercings.



The dentist from Westlake Dental Care takes impressions of your tooth to have the veneers fabricated. The shell is bonded onto the tooth’s surface, and ultraviolet light is applied to harden it. Multiple visits to Dr. Tarek Badawy may be needed if you have dental veneers because they need to be custom-made in a dental laboratory. Dental veneers last longer than dental bonding and are stain-resistant. They are also an effective alternative to dental crowns.

Inlays and Onlays

Inlays and Onlays are dental restorations made from gold, porcelain, or composite materials to treat damaged areas of the teeth. Inlays are useful for treating the center of the tooth, while Onlays are beneficial when more areas of the tooth need to be covered. Both options are excellent solutions for addressing tooth damage from bruxism and cavities.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are metal posts inserted into the jawbone surgically to function as artificial tooth roots for missing teeth. After the implant has integrated with the jawbone, the dentist mounts a replacement tooth on them. If you have one more missing teeth and are in good physical and oral health, you can consider yourself a suitable candidate for dental implants offered by most cosmetic dentists.


As can be seen, cosmetic dentistry is not just to improve the superficial appearance but also provides your many benefits to help your overall health. Missing teeth will cause your remaining teeth to shift from their original position resulting in a bad bite. Crooked or misaligned teeth will give rise to dental issues like tooth decay and cavities. Teeth whitening can give your teeth a brighter and whiter appearance, and dental bonding can conceal minor defects in your teeth and last year for years. Any issue that affects your overall health initially begins from your mouth, and cosmetic dentistry is entirely capable of correcting these problems to improve not just your smile but also your overall health.



The post Cosmetic Dentistry Is Not Just Superficial and Can Improve Your Smile and Overall Oral Health first appeared on Westlake Dental Care.

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