Esthetic is concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
Esthetic dentistry is a field of dentistry concerned especially with the appearance of dentition. It might be in the form of arrangement of teeth or change in colour of teeth. It not only covers the dentition but aims at beautification of the face as whole.
The specialties predominantly focus on dental esthetics are; prosthodontics, orthodontics, maxillofacialsurgery, endodontics and periodontics.
The most recent and common dental esthetic procedures are;
1. Tooth colored filling / composite filling :-
They provide good stability and resistance. Can be used for both front and back tooth and looks natural as the material resemble the tooth colour.
2. Ceramic inlays and outlays :-
They are used in moderate to extensive tooth decay, it is fabricated by taking impression of your tooth followed by lab procedures.
It is highly aesthetic and gives natural look
3. Veeners :-
They are ultra tin material which are bonded to front part of the tooth surface,
They require minimal procedure with little or no anaesthesia
This can be the ideal choice for improving the appearance of your front tooth.
4. Teeth whitening :-
It is the most popular and common dental aesthetic procedure.
It can be performed in the dental clinic or in the house under dental supervision
The most common tooth bleaching materials are primarily based on hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.
5. Clear aligners :-
Clear aligners/ invisalign are invisible transparent plastics which helps to straighten your teeth.
This eliminates the metallalic braces on your teeth, it is custom made as required.
Wearing the aligners will gradually move your teeth into place , as planned by orthodontist.
It is highly aesthetic method of approach to straighten your teeth.
6. Lingual braces :-
This are the braces which are placed back side of the tooth surface, instead of front surface of the tooth.
It is completely invisible and highly aesthetic.
7. Dental implants :-
Dental implant replaces tooth roots with metal, screwlike posts and replaces damaged or missing teeth with artificial teeth that looks and functions like a original tooth.
8. Lasers :-
Lasers are used to treat a number of different dental conditions.
Laser dentistry potentially offers a more comfortable treatment option for a number of dental procedures involving hard or soft tissue compared to drills and other non-laser tools.
The dental procedures covered under laser are;
• Cavity detection
• Tooth preparations
• Treating tooth sensitivity
• Treating gummy smile
• Crown lengthening
• Tooth whitening
• Periodontal disease
• Disinfecting the root canal
• Soft tissue removal
• Removal of begin tumour
• Treatment for obstructive sleep apnea
• TMJ joint disorders
• Nerve regeneration
• Treatment for cold sores
• Treatment for MPDS
• Facial pain
• Pigmentations of face and lips
9. Facial botox :-
BOTOX is a cosmetic medicine, injected into muscles to temporarily improve the facial muscles.
The medicine used in botox is onabutalinumtoxinA, it makes your face look much younger and rejuvenate the face by improving crow’s lines, frown lines, nasali’s lines, forehead lines, lifting up the eyebrows, smile and chin.
10. Cleft lip and palate :-
Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth defects. It is most common birth defects associated with many inherited genetic conditions or syndromes.
Having a baby born with a cleft can be upsetting, but cleft lip and cleft palate can be corrected. In most babies, a series of surgeries can restore normal function and achieve a more normal appearance with minimal scarring.
11. Orthognathic surgery :-
It is a cosmetic and corrective procedure which includes the correction of jaws of your faces, malocclusions, TMJ disorders, sleep apnea which indeed enhances facial aesthetics.
Contributor- Dr. Kavyashree M Prasad
Nicely summarised 👍
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