What cosmetic dentistry can and can't do
An honest guide to cosmetic dentistry. What it can change, what it cannot, what it costs your teeth as well as your budget, and how to decide.
Draft, awaiting review by Dr. Swapnil B. Patil, BDS
What it can change
Cosmetic dentistry can change four things about your teeth: their colour, their shape, their position and the spaces between them. It can also replace teeth that are missing.
Colour is changed with whitening, or covered with veneers or crowns when whitening cannot reach it. Shape and size are changed with veneers, crowns or tooth-coloured bonding. Position is changed with aligners or braces. Gaps can be closed by moving teeth, by adding to them, or by replacing missing ones with implants or bridges.
What it cannot do
It cannot make unhealthy teeth healthy. Decay, gum disease and grinding have to be dealt with first, or the cosmetic work fails early.
It cannot change everything without a cost to the teeth. Whitening and aligners leave the enamel as it is. Veneers and crowns usually need some enamel removed, which does not grow back, so those teeth will always need a veneer or crown.
It cannot promise an exact result. Planning and a preview narrow the gap between what you imagine and what you get, but teeth, gums and materials all have their own character.
And it cannot last forever without care. Whitening fades, ceramic can chip, and teeth that have been moved will drift back without retainers.
How to decide
Begin with what bothers you most, in your own words. Then ask, for each option, three questions: how much of my natural tooth does this change, how long will it last, and what does it cost to maintain? The gentlest option that does what you want is usually the right one.
For larger changes, ask to see it first. A digital smile design plans the result on photographs of your face, and a temporary mock-up lets you try it in your mouth before you decide anything.
Why people choose it
Most people who come for cosmetic treatment are not chasing perfection. They want to stop hiding their teeth in photographs, to replace work that no longer matches, or to fix something that has bothered them for years. Those are good reasons, and they are well served by a plan that changes as little as possible and keeps the teeth healthy.
Treatments mentioned here
Teeth whitening
Whitening lightens the natural colour of your teeth with a peroxide gel, either in the chair at the clinic or at home with trays made for your mouth. It does not change the colour of crowns, veneers or fillings.
Ceramic veneers
A ceramic veneer is a thin shell of porcelain bonded to the front of a tooth to change its colour, shape or size. It usually needs a small amount of enamel removed, so it is a long-term decision.
Clear aligners
Clear aligners are a series of thin, removable plastic trays, each shaped to move your teeth a little further. You change to the next set every week or two until the teeth reach their planned position.
Questions people ask
Not here? Ask us directly. We reply during clinic hours, till 9 pm.
Ask on WhatsAppIs cosmetic dentistry safe?
The treatments are well established. The risks are mostly about how much natural tooth is removed and how the work is maintained, which is why the gentlest suitable option comes first.
How long do cosmetic results last?
Whitening fades gradually over a year or more. Veneers and crowns commonly last many years. Straightened teeth stay straight as long as retainers are worn.
Where should I start?
With a consultation. You say what you would change; we check the teeth and gums and set out the options from gentlest to most involved.
Questions before you decide?
Call or message us, or ask for a time. We reply during clinic hours, till 9 pm.