Cosmetic dentistry is all about appearance — making your teeth whiter, straighter and more even, to achieve the brilliant, sparkling smile we all like to see in the mirror and on others.

In recent years, new techniques have been added to the armoury of cosmetic dentistry, allowing dentists to help clients achieve that dazzling smile and greater confidence, whilst retaining their original teeth as much as possible.

To whiten or bleach your teeth, the dentist fits a light mouthguard, tailor made to fit your mouth. You then fill the mouthguard with the bleaching agent each day and wear it up to an hour, for about one or two weeks until you achieve the whiteness you want. This can work on your whole set of teeth or an individual discoloured tooth.

Gaps or short teeth can be corrected through bonding, in which a white filling is attached to the surface of the tooth, rather like attaching a false fingernail. The bond is very strong and the result is virtually undetectable from your other teeth, camouflaging what you want to hide. Bonding may also be used to cover discoloured tooth.

Crowns and bridges are like hollow false teeth. A crown is fitted over a damaged tooth (with a strong root) and glued into place. A bridge covers the gap left by a missing tooth, and is like three crowns joined together in a row, the crown at each end being anchored to the remaining tooth on each side of the gap. Crowns can now be made of porcelain, giving an extremely realistic colour match to your remaining natural teeth. Once it is in place and bonded to the tooth, the crown or bridge seals the underlying tooth so that no further decay will occur. As well as providing a strong, good-looking replacement, a crown often proves less expensive than removing and replacing a badly decayed tooth.

An implant is another means of replacing a missing tooth and is the nearest equivalent to regaining the lost tooth. A small rod, made of titanium, is screwed into the jawbone and a crown is then attached to the top of the rod. Our bodies readily accept titanium and the bone bonds to it, making the implant very strong.

People with a ‘gummy’ smile — showing only short teeth because there is too much gum covering them — can bring their teeth out of hiding for a brilliant smile with minor surgery. The one-step, one-visit process involves the dentist removing some of the gum to expose more of the teeth. The result is a larger, more confident smile, especially is combined with bleaching.

Should you consider cosmetic dentistry to help improve your smile?

Ask yourself some simple questions:

1. Do you smile as much as you would like?

2. Do your teeth look as white as they once did?

3. Do people comment positively about your smile?

4. Are you happy with your smile?

5. What would you like to improve about your smile?

6. Do you see other people smile and wish you looked like that?

Consider these questions and then make an appointment to see us for a consultation to discuss the treatment options available to you. It maybe more simple than you imagined to repair and restore your smile.

To learn more about improving your smile - please visit our Achieving Your Perfect Smile section.