These days, the average dentist will offer a host of services to meet his or her patients’ needs. They can range from tooth-colored fillings to porcelain veneers, but how are these procedures categorized? As you read further, we tackle the question: “What’s the difference between cosmetic and restorative dentistry?” By being better informed, you can make a more educated decision about the type of dental care you need.
What is Restorative Dentistry?
This classification of dental services is pretty self-explanatory, as its focus is on restoring one’s oral health to normal. Thus, the procedures included in this category are considered to be essential to maintaining your oral health.
Here are two examples of restorative procedures:
Dental Crowns
The crown of the tooth is the part that is visible above the gum line. If it becomes damaged beyond repair, it leaves you susceptible to oral bacteria entering the sensitive parts of the tooth and causing infection. By placing a custom-designed porcelain crown, your dentist can restore your functionality to normal.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
If a minor cavity develops, a tooth-colored filling provides a way to fix the decayed area in a lasting and attractive manner. Your dentist will use a perfectly-shaded composite resin to blend with the surrounding enamel to fully restore the tooth.
While both procedures can improve your smile in addition to providing restorative benefits, there are other types of treatment that focus primarily on your appearance.
Cosmetic Dentistry Explained
With cosmetic dental procedures, the main objective is to rejuvenate your smile and boost your confidence. The treatments in this category can address such smile flaws as gaps, slight misalignment, chips, cracks or stains.
Here are some examples of the cosmetic dental solutions your dentist may offer:
Porcelain Veneers
These are thin ceramic shells that are custom-crafted to fit over your front-facing teeth. They mask stains, chips, gaps and misalignment to leave you with a symmetrical and attractive appearance. In just two visits, your smile can be completely remade.
Dental Bonding
The dental bonding process uses composite resin material to fix chips, cracks, fill in gaps and mask stains. The process, which usually only takes an hour and one visit to complete, provides a more cost-effective way of revamping your smile.
Zoom! Teeth Whitening
When stubborn stains settle into your enamel, simply brushing and flossing won’t suffice. The high-powered bleaches contained in the Zoom! whitening formula are capable of addressing any stains or discoloration and leaving your smile up to eight shades brighter.
Blurred Lines
Because of the evolution of dental procedures, the lines between restorative and cosmetic dentistry can often blur. Thus, no matter what type of dental care you receive, you’re likely to have a better-looking and -functioning smile.
To discover what type of care will best fit your needs, all you need to do is pay your local dentist a visit.
About the Author
Dr. Amy E. Farrell earned her dental degree from the University of Maryland Dental School. She offers both restorative and cosmetic dentistry at NeoSmile Dental Care to meet her patients varied needs, and she can be reached for more information through her website.
