2 ways to reshape your teeth

Ways to reshape teeth, santa monica, beverly hills, pacific palisades, brentwood, caVery few people are lucky enough to have naturally perfect teeth, so don’t feel too discouraged if you are one of the many living with teeth that are too small, chipped, discolored, crooked or spaced too far apart. The good news is that there is hope, and you can have the smile you want instead of the one you were given. Here are two modern methods cosmetic dentists use to reshape your teeth.

1. Dental bonding

Dental bonding is done with a composite resin, or plastic, matched to the color of your existing teeth. It is by far the easiest and fastest method for fixing minor imperfections, including mending minor chips or cracks, covering stains or closing small gaps. In as little as 30 minutes and a few simple steps, you are ready to walk out the door with a more beautiful and uniform smile.

Your dentist prepares your tooth by removing a very small amount of enamel to gently roughen and prepare the surface for optimum bonding. After applying a conditioning solution, the bonding material is expertly applied in thin layers to repair or reshape each tooth.

2. Porcelain veneers

Veneers, while not as fast as dental bonding, are considered a significantly better choice to reshape teeth or cover any larger imperfections, including wide gaps, broken teeth, gummy smiles, worn-down or smaller teeth, significant discolorations and sometimes even crooked teeth. Porcelain veneers require as much as 1/2 millimeter to be removed from the surface of your tooth. This makes it an irreversible procedure, but it is necessary to ensure that the final outcome looks completely natural and not thick or bulky.

If tooth whitening is also needed or desired, it is done prior to color-matching your veneers to ensure both your existing teeth and your new porcelain veneers match in color, shape and size. Your dentist then sends an impression of your teeth to the lab where your custom-fitted veneers are hand-crafted for you. The true benefit of porcelain veneers is that they are long-lasting, naturally stain resistant and look like you were born with them.

How to get started

The first step is to book a consultation with a Santa Monica cosmetic dentist. After reviewing your specific issues, you and the doctor can discuss your options and help you to determine the best approach for achieving the look you want.