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You have booked a consultation with a cosmetic dentist and are wondering what to expect; x-rays, surgery or instantly applied porcelain teeth? Outlined below is a good standard of care and expectations during the journey for a renewed smile.

There are three areas to address:

Function
Comfort
Aesthetics

All of the above having a high level of importance to you. A multitude of investigative procedures need to be considered prior to actually commencing treatment and it is essential the dentist spends as much time as necessary finding out 'what the patient really wants'.

Firstly the dentist should carry out a full examination not only in the mouth but also of other facial characteristics; when routine x-rays are taken in order to look at all the tissue and structures that can not readily be seen when examining the mouth. Next is a series of assessments for both the smiling and non smiling position of your mouth.

This is carried out to in order to assess the smile line, lip line, the amount of teeth and or gum tissue that shows, the width of the smile, the symmetry of the smile and whether the smile line is parallel to the eyes or not.

Any discolouration of the teeth, existing crowns or veneers which are present are noted and taken into consideration for the full aesthetics in relation to the existing teeth.

Misaligned teeth that are twisted or rotated, chipped or broken, badly worn or evidence of teeth grinding are also taken into consideration. Teeth shape is also noted; triangular shaped or bell shaped and small or large teeth.

It is of great importance to look at the left and the right sides of the mouth and assess their symmetry as well as the relative proportions i.e. whether the teeth are in balance to the other facial structures such as the eyes and the nose.

After a through examination of the mouth and face you may need an impression taken. This only takes a few minutes and leaves the dentist with a working model of your teeth. A further step in the treatment planning would be to have a dental laboratory duplicate the impressions and carry out a diagnostic 'aesthetic wax up' on a second set of impression models in order to look at what might be able to be achieved prior to doing any treatment within the mouth. This can also show you the potential of your new smile.

In other cases gum tissue situations are considered i.e. if excess gum is present the dentist may need to carry out crown lengthening as a prelude to any other treatment. Or if there was inefficient gum, extensive recession or gum shrinkage, gum grafting might have to be carried out in order to achieve an optimal aesthetic appearance.

And finally you may need some orthodontics to move teeth if your an adult. This can be readily carried out often with tooth coloured (invisible) braces.

Before any treatment commences what so ever it is very important that a treatment plan is discussed in full with all the pros and cons to assist you in making an informed choice.

A treatment plan is then carefully put together taking into account all the information about the mouth and your needs and wishes. The plan is then agreed and put in writing and you should be given an opportunity to go away with the treatment plan to consider all the options.

At last the teeth are made into a healthy state by optimal positioning with the right level of gum and soft tissue around each tooth to create balance and harmony; giving you a new smile.

Therefore when having cosmetic dentistry treatments there is a multitude of areas which need to be addressed and it is the job of a professional dentist to do this in a systematic fashion.

If there are any areas of treatment which the dentist can not provide to the standard that is required you should be referred to a specialist to assist in your requirements.

Relax, now you have a good idea of what will take place when visiting your cosmetic surgeon and how the process unfolds. The key is to always be well informed about all areas of your health before making decisions that can be both costly for the pocket and your body.

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