Dental information

Cosmetic dentistry

As well as concentrating on the health of your teeth, there are now procedures concerned with the aesthetics, or appearance, of your teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can be used to straighten, lighten, reshape and repair teeth. As well as the two procedures below, crowns and composite fillings can also come under the heading of ‘cosmetic dentistry’.

The most common tooth whitening method is professional bleaching, where a specially made tray fits around your teeth like a gum shield, and the whitening product is left to work. Usually, the active ingredient in the tooth whitening bleach is hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. As oxygen gets into the enamel on your teeth, the bleaching agent reacts and makes the teeth lighter in colour.

Laser whitening, or ‘power whitening’, can be used to speed up the bleaching process. This is when a light or laser is shone onto the teeth to quicken the chemical reaction and lighten the teeth up to 5 or 6 times lighter.

A veneer is a thin slice of porcelain, or a tooth-coloured composite, made to fit precisely over the front surface of a tooth, much like a false fingernail on a nail. Veneers are an ideal way to instantly alter the appearance of your teeth, hiding discolouration, closing small gaps and repairing chips and cracks.

Veneers are a powerful tool for creating beautiful smiles with the minimum of damage to the tooth.

Your dentist will take an impression of the tooth, and a dental technician will create your porcelain veneer in the laboratory.