Even people who aren’t normally thrilled at the prospect of visiting the dentist can get excited when coming in for a cosmetic procedure. Preventive dentistry isn’t the most exciting prospect, but making your smile look its best is always thrilling.
That said, general and cosmetic dentistry go hand in hand. Neglecting your oral health can make getting cosmetic dental treatment significantly more difficult. Here’s why.
A Solid Foundation
Cosmetic dental procedures usually aren’t capable of replacing your tooth from the root; they are layered on top to give you the appearance of a beautiful smile, but your actual teeth remain where they are. Veneers, dental crowns, and direct bonding all make use of the natural tooth as a foundation for a prosthetic.
In that way, the success of these treatments is heavily dependent upon the integrity of the tooth beneath. If your gums are too weak to hold in that tooth, or decay has compromised the tooth itself, the chance of failure for these procedures increases significantly. If the problem becomes too severe, they could fall out entirely.
Spread of Disease
Moreover, it isn’t just oral health issues in the tooth they are treating that can be an issue. Tooth decay and gum disease are caused by bacterial infection, and those bacteria can grow and spread if left untreated. If there’s even a cavity in a tooth near the cosmetic target, your dentist will probably also treat that tooth before your cosmetic procedure.
Teeth Whitening
Poor oral hygiene is one of the leading causes of enamel erosion. That has consequences not just on how you feel, but how you look. The whiteness of your teeth comes from your enamel, but erosion can potentially expose the layer underneath called dentin.
Dentin has a dark brown color, so if your enamel has eroded away, it may cause your teeth to look brown as well. However, unlike browning due to stains, teeth whitening treatments don’t work very effectively on dentin. If you don’t properly take care of your teeth, it could make it much harder to get a white smile.
As you can see, taking care of your teeth most of the time is critically important to effective cosmetic dentistry. By brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and avoiding sweets and sugars you can make a massive difference in your oral health outcomes.
About the Author
Dr. Aliana Henkin began practicing dentistry in 2007, and in that time she’s become a master of providing excellent dental care. Her compassionate nature also manages to put her patients at ease while she works. Dr. Henkin completed her doctorate at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, and she has since completed advanced courses in implantology and CEREC.
If you have any questions about cosmetic dentistry, she can be reached at her website or by phone at (973) 949-0925.