The appearance of your teeth affects the overall look of your face. Many people feel less attractive when their teeth appear irregular, discolored, or crooked. Nevertheless, a dentist can help improve the look of your teeth, using cosmetic dental applications. Although cosmetic services do not improve the health of the teeth, they can enhance the attractiveness of the teeth.

Here are some of the cosmetic dental treatments that may be used to help beautify your smile. 

Porcelain Veneers

An application of porcelain veneers can make a patient look as though they have a new set of teeth. Each veneer is shaped like a tooth. However, the device is only a thin shell that covers the front side of the tooth. 

Nevertheless, since the actual natural tooth is hidden from view by a veneer, the imperfections of the veneer-treated tooth are not visible to an observer when the patient speaks or smiles. Instead, the veneer gives the appearance of a perfectly formed, white tooth. A patient can choose a single veneer to cover a blemished tooth, or multiple veneers can be used to completely transform the overall appearance of the teeth. 

The veneer is considered a permanent cosmetic application and may never need to be replaced. However, if a veneer does incur damage, a cosmetic dentist can remove the device and apply a new veneer. Also, if the patient's gums recede, displaying the tooth material that lies between the gum line and the top of the veneer, the dentist may replace the device with a longer veneer to conceal the newly exposed area of the tooth.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is a chemical application that helps remove food-based stains from the teeth. As the tooth material is exposed to the colorants in the foods and drinks that you consume, the particles of pigments lodge and accumulate in the enamel's pores. This accumulation leads to dental discoloration as the pigments progressively darken the tooth.

Chemical whiteners that contain a bleaching agent, such as peroxide, are applied to the tooth surface to remove the discoloration. During the application process, the dentist may apply a bright light to the teeth to improve the whitening effects of the bleaching product.

A professional teeth-whitening application may improve the color of the teeth dramatically. However, the application is not considered permanent because the consumption of deeply pigments foods and beverages may repeatedly discolor the teeth over time. To help maintain the whiteness from the bleaching application, the dentist may suggest whitening toothpaste and at-home bleaching applications.