A confident smile can help you leave a lasting impression. However, many Springfield residents find it challenging to smile freely due to uneven, stained, or crowded teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can provide a wide range of solutions to these individuals and allow them to smile confidently again.

All you need to do is find reliable and professional Springfield, VA cosmetic dentists with expertise and experience in cosmetic dentistry procedures. 

What issues can cosmetic dentistry address?

Any dental procedure that can enhance the appearance of your teeth, gums, and bite is a cosmetic dentistry procedure. While a cosmetic dentistry procedure mainly focuses on improving the shape, size, position, color, and alignment of your teeth, it may not necessarily restore functionality either. 

Nonetheless, cosmetic dentistry can address the following issues.

• Appearance of teeth: Cosmetic dentistry is beneficial for those who have stained or yellowed teeth. Procedures like whitening or bleaching can help these individuals get brighter teeth. 
• Chipped or cracked teeth: Cracked or chipped teeth are when a small piece of enamel from your tooth breaks off; on the other hand, a cracked tooth is when you have a fracture in your tooth.
• Gaps: The gaps between teeth, also known as diastema, can occur due to many reasons. Some of the most common ones are the natural development of adult teeth, missing teeth that didn’t come through while growing up, small teeth size, large jawbones, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, and much more.
• Misaligned teeth: The medical term for misaligned teeth is malocclusion, which occurs when your upper and lower teeth don’t fit well together properly when you close the mouth. The condition is usually the result of crowded or crooked teeth.
• Tooth discoloration: Tooth discoloration is when the natural color of your teeth changes, making them appear yellowish or less bright or develop dark/ white flecks. Dark-colored foods, tobacco use, poor oral hygiene, excessive fluoride, certain diseases, medications, etc. can cause tooth discoloration. 
• Missing teeth: Blunt force traumas, tooth decay, injuries, and gum diseases can lead to teeth loss. Sometimes, people don’t get teeth at all due to a condition known as hypodontia, which is caused by heredity.
• Uneven gum line: Sometimes, people have excessive gum tissues around their teeth, which can ruin the appearance of their teeth and make them appear disproportionate. 

Common cosmetic dentistry procedures.

Following are some of the most common cosmetic dentistry procedures preferred by dentists.

• Dental veneers: Dental veneers are the shells that fit over your teeth to protect them and conceal stains, chips, cracks, and other visible imperfections. They are one of the most common cosmetic dentistry procedures.
• Dental bonding: Dental bonding is the cosmetic dentistry procedure that uses a tooth-colored resin material to repair gaps between teeth, chipped teeth, or discolored teeth. While most cosmetic dentistry procedures are not reversible, dental bonding can be reversed.
• Clear aligners: Clear dental aligners are a popular alternative to dental braces. They’re barely visible and perfect for treating moderate cases of teeth crowding, spacing, underbite, deep bite, and overbite.
• Gum contouring: Gum contouring is the procedure of reshaping and resculpting the gum line to cut away and remove the excess gum tissues around the teeth. Alternatively, the procedure also involves restoring the gum tissues in cases of gum recession.
• Inlays and Onlays: Dental inlays and onlays are the procedures for filling the dental cavities. Inlays fit inside the tooth and replace the tooth structure lost due to decay. While onlays also fit inside the tooth, they extend to cover the entire chewing surface and replace one or more cusps. However, dentists prefer using crowns in case of a completely decayed or missing tooth.
• Bridges: Dental bridges also replace missing teeth. The system consists of two dental crowns at each end that hold the row of artificial teeth in place of the missing teeth and restore the appearance and functionality. 

Cosmetic dentistry offers multifaceted benefits

Cosmetic dentistry can improve your appearance by repairing or replacing damaged teeth. The procedure can also enhance dental functionality with long-lasting results and ensure better oral health. However, you must consult a well-reputed dentist for a proper diagnosis and personalized treatment plan.