People choose aesthetic dental procedures/surgery for various reasons-to repair a defect such as a malformed bite or crooked teeth, treat an injury, or just improve their overall appearance. Whatever the reason, the ultimate goal is to restore a beautiful smile. For these and many other reasons, aesthetic dentistry has become a vital and important part of the dental profession.

Common aesthetic dental procedures can be performed to correct misshaped, discolored, chipped or missing teeth. They also can be used to change the overall shape of teeth-from teeth that are too long or short, have gaps, or simply need to be reshaped.

Some of the more common procedures involve:
Bonding - Cosmetic dental bonding utilizes a tooth-colored resin material that is applied and shaped to the appropriate form of the tooth, then hardended using a special light. This is another alternative to restoring a persons natural smile. Bonding can utilized to repair decayed teeth, improve the esthetics of discolored teeth, close spaces between teeth, changing the shape or length of teeth, to protect exposed root structure (due to gum recession), or to repair decayed teeth.

Contouring and reshaping - A procedure that straightens crooked, chipped, cracked or overlapping teeth.

Veneers - Veneers are customized thin shells usually made of porcelain or resin composite material that cover the front surface of teeth to improve appearance. Veneers can change the size, shape, length, or color of a tooths appearance. Porcelain veneers offer better stain resistance and light reflection than resin veneers, but resin veneers usually require less tooth structure removal. Veneers can be used to cover discolored teeth (due to large resin fillings, staining due to tetracycline, excessive fluoride), repair chipped or worn teeth, close gaps between teeth, or straighten misaligned teeth.

Whitening and bleaching - As the term implies, whitening and bleaching, a rapidly increasing procedure, are used to make teeth whiter. Today there many different types of whitening alternatives offered; over-the-counter kits, custom made dental bleaching trays for home bleaching systems, or in-office power bleaching systems. It is important to have a comprehensive dental exam before beginning any bleaching regimen to help avoid any potential complications. Custom made bleaching trays offer the advantage of offering a natural fit to your teeth allowing more bleach to be on the teeth and not on gum tissue. These trays also offer the advantage of allowing for touch-ups throughout the year. At home trays typically give results in 2 weeks or sometimes less. In-office power bleaching can help make your teeth whiter in most cases a single appointment. Some consider a combination of In-office and custom home bleaching trays for optimal long term results.