One of the ways to improve the appearance of your smile is to work on the shapes of teeth. While other factors like discoloration and spacing matter, the shapes of your different teeth affect the overall appearance of your smile. Besides, teeth naturally have different shapes to accomplish various functions, ranging from cutting and biting to tearing and breaking down. Fortunately, dental experts haven’t yet run out of ideas for improving your smile’s aesthetic, even regarding the shapes.
What Are Teeth Reshaping and Contouring?
They are dental procedures for improving the appearance of smiles by adjusting the shapes of teeth. Ideally, every type of tooth in the human mouth has a standard shape so that an incisor does not look the same as a canine tooth.
Due to various factors, you may have oddly shaped teeth, having some too pointy, too rounded off, crooked, or simply chipped and broken. All these issues need correction through teeth contouring and reshaping in Chicago.
When Do You Need Teeth Reshaping?
Anyone can benefit from teeth contouring treatments in dentistry. However, they are considered cosmetic procedures. It means that children will need consent from their parents before undergoing such treatment protocols. Some of the reasons you will need teeth reshaping treatment in dentistry are:
- Chipped, cracked, or broken teeth – typically following dental trauma and injuries.
- Crooked teeth – when teeth grow toward the wring direction, which may also cause overlapping.
- Oddly shaped teeth – can result from either developmental deformities or dental injuries. You can have teeth that are too pointy, rounded or boxed off.
- Unusually short teeth – may be a developmental problem or due to genetics. However, many patients with unusually short teeth suffer from excessive teeth grinding, also called bruxism, which causes uneven edges, enamel thinning, and erosion.
Understanding The Tooth Contouring And Reshaping Process
The process of changing the shape of your teeth can take many forms. Sometimes, your dentist in Calumet City will send you to an orthodontic dental office to receive braces. Braces are dental aligners that help correct the alignment of teeth, especially regarding crookedness.
The process of shaping teeth using braces takes long, so you may need to wear them for at least six months. The reason is that braces work gradually to shift and rotate teeth. The process relies on the breakdown and disintegration of bone tissue to forfeit the initial location of teeth and adopt a new one. The entire process takes time, with some lasting as long as 24 months before you can realize your desired results. Fortunately, there are different approaches for reshaping and contouring teeth in dentistry.
Is Teeth Shaping Possible Without Braces?
Technically, braces work best for improving teeth alignment by shifting the angles that teeth adopt when in the jawbone. However, teeth reshaping and contouring involve more than that. Dentists have to address the structural issues of your teeth to achieve your desired dental goals. Therefore, teeth contouring is sometimes particular to teeth in your mouth that need reshaping. Many of our patients at Family Dental Care – Calumet City prefer to reshape only the front teeth, which are the most visible when you smile.
Teeth contouring can involve two main processes, i.e., composite bonding and porcelain veneers. Both these materials can improve the shapes of your teeth drastically. Composite bonding involves applying a composite resin to your affected teeth, shaping them accordingly, then hardening them to restore the structure of your teeth.
On the other hand, installing porcelain veneers involves preparing your natural teeth by trimming the tooth enamel. Later, the dentists will prepare a shell-like, tooth-shaped material, then fit it to the front surfaces of your teeth to reshape them accordingly.
Is Teeth Reshaping and Contouring Painful?
Generally, you should not feel any pain during teeth contouring processes. However, you may experience some sensitivity, especially in the case of dental veneers. It is why your dentist will numb your mouth before beginning the enamel preparation process.
After your treatment, you will not be in any pain. You may anticipate a little tooth sensitivity as an effect of the dental works, but it should wear off in just a few days.
