Very few people are blessed with a naturally perfect smile. In fact, more than 50% of Americans are not satisfied with the appearance of their smiles. If you are self-conscious about having crooked teeth or just want to freshen up your looks, you can consider different cosmetic dentistry services that can create the perfect smile you’ve always wanted.

Statistics show that over a quarter of American adults believe cosmetic dentistry can improve their quality of life, which is the reason for cosmetic dentistry becoming more and more popular in recent years. The annual national spending on cosmetic dentistry amount for app. $2.75 billion and the number is growing every year.

If you live or work in Burien, WA, you can also take advantage of all the benefits of cosmetic dentistry and rely on the experience and personalized approach of Dr. Lee from Burien Family Dental Care.

What is cosmetic dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry is generally used to refer to any dental work that improves the appearance (sometimes also the function) of a person’s teeth, gums and/or bite.

Cosmetic dentistry may involve the following:

• the addition of a dental material to teeth or gums – for example bonding, porcelain veneers (laminates), crowns (caps), gum grafts
• the removal of tooth structure or gums – for example: enameloplasty, gingivectomy
• neither adding nor removing dental materials, tooth structure, or gums – for example: teeth whitening (bleaching), gum depigmentation
• straightening of teeth accompanied by improvement in appearance of face – orthodontics

While traditional dentistry focuses on oral hygiene and preventing, diagnosing and treating oral disease, cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of a person’s teeth, mouth and smile. Cosmetic dentistry may also provide restorative benefits. For example, dental fillings are a common procedure used to treat decayed teeth.

A recent survey of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry reveals that the majority of patients seeking cosmetic dental work (89%), are doing so to improve their physical attractiveness and self-esteem. Bonding, whitening and veneers continue to be the top procedures patients seek from cosmetic dentists.

Top cosmetic dentistry procedures

1. Cosmetic bonding

Cosmetic bonding is very effective for masking flaws on the teeth and involves placing composite resin over or around the tooth structure to reshape and restore the tooth. If you have irregularly shaped teeth or have visible gaps, cosmetic bonding may be the ideal solution for your smile makeover.

Benefits of Cosmetic Bonding Include:

• Improves aesthetics of the overall smile
• Covers up stains or discolored teeth
• Fills in cracks and gaps between teeth
• Restores chipped or misshapen teeth
• Covers up stains or discolored teeth

2. Professional whitening

Professional teeth whitening involves the usage of medical-grade bleaching agents and is performed in a controlled environment. This allows to accomplish a much brighter, whiter result while doing no harm to your teeth or gums.

Benefits of professional whitening Include:

• Visibly brightens several shades in a single session
• Removes tooth strains effectively
• Fast, almost immediate results
• Reduces risk of gum and tooth sensitivity
• Pain-free way to dramatically improve your smile
• Results last longer than over-the-counter treatments

3. Veneers

One of the best ways to enhance your smile without surgery is with porcelain veneers. Veneers can be a painless and effective way to transform the appearance of your teeth and achieve the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted.
A Veneer is a thin layer of material placed over a tooth, either to improve the aesthetics of a tooth or to protect the tooth’s surface from damage. There are two main types of material used to fabricate a veneer: composite and dental porcelain.
Benefits of porcelain veneers include:

• Can restore symmetry of the smile
• Can strengthen or restore cracked teeth
• Can increase or decrease the length of the teeth
• May be an attractive alternative to braces
• Highly durable
• Can protect teeth from tooth decay
• Effective for correcting minor dental problems
• Improves aesthetics and functioning of the smile
• Helps create a brighter smile

If you live or work in Burien, WA, you can make use of the latest technologies in cosmetic dentistry and in the same time – benefit from the experience of Dr. Lee from Burien Family Dental Care. Dr. Lee is one of the few dentists in Burien, who offers cosmetic dentistry treatment with the latest technology and with no risk for overtreatment.

How has cosmetic dentistry influenced the life of celebrities?

We tend to admire celebrities for their looks and their flawless beautiful smiles. The truth is that only few of them are actually natural once. Most of our favorite celebrities owe much to their dentist for their appealing looks.