How Can a Cosmetic Dentist Help Me?

Cosmetic dentistry is a customized experience, which blends an understanding of the unique biology of each individual’s mouth with expertise in aesthetics. Think of cosmetic dentists as an intersection of science and art — sculptors whose goal is to design your ideal smile using the best-of-the-best in both dental techniques and technology. 

But cosmetic dentists aren’t just for dental makeovers. They provide a wide range of services and expertise including: 

General Dentistry

A cosmetic dentist can provide both customized services as well as general dentistry services.  This not only means the appearance of your teeth, but ensuring your overall oral health is on track. A top priority of general and cosmetic dentistry is avoiding and/or treating gum disease, which is characterized by inflamed or bleeding gums, sensitive or missing teeth, and bad breath (otherwise known as Halitosis.)

Gum disease can lead to a wide range of other health issues, including  heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and preterm labor. It  can also permanently damage your teeth and tissue,  so  the earlier you catch gum disease and begin treatment, the better.  Some procedures to treat gum disease can include minimally invasive laser gum surgery. However, if damage has progressed to the teeth and you have excessive wear, cracks, broken cusps or other issues, you may need other treatment types. 

Other general dentistry procedures may include:

• • Fillings: Dental fillings help treat teeth with varying levels of cavities or decay, and can also be used to repair injured or cracked teeth.
  • Dental crowns: Dental crowns are used to repair teeth which have more extensive damage or decay. Crowns are the last line of defense before a tooth is too damaged to save and must be extracted. They are also used to correct cosmetic imperfections.

• Tooth extractions. When a decayed tooth cannot be repaired, a general dentist will remove it. In other instances, such is the case with wisdom teeth, an impacted tooth which is unable to break through the gum barrier may also require extraction. 

Braces: Braces are used to position the teeth to improve alignment, jaw discomfort, and aesthetics.

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Sedation Dentistry

The fear of the dentist is one of the world’s top phobias. Dental anxiety, or dental fear, is estimated to affect about  36% of the population. Another 12% is reported to suffer from extreme dental fear. Sound familiar? If so, a cosmetic dentist can better support your dental care needs with  sedation dentistry to help ease dental anxiety and fear of needles. This is a great option not only for generalized anxiety, but those with a sensitive gag reflex or a low pain tolerance.

Implant Dentistry

• Whether you have loose fitting dentures or missing teeth, dental implants are often used to correct  issues and create a natural, beautiful smile.  Implants are surgically placed in your jawbone and work as “anchors” or roots for artificial teeth. Typically, the implant base material is titanium, which fuses with your jawbone, and won’t slip, make noise or cause bone damage in the way that bridgework or dentures sometimes do.  

In general, dental implants are a great solution for those with: 

• Missing  teeth
• Jawbones which are no longer growing  
• Adequate bone strength 
• Health gum tissue
• No existing conditions that will affect bone healing
• An inability or lack of desire to wear dentures
• Speech impairment

Advanced Technology

Because cosmetic dentistry employs complex techniques in order to achieve their customized treatments and procedures, all patients of cosmetic dentistry can enjoy the most state-of-the-art equipment and technology. CEREC® same day restorative dentistry offers a modern, efficient, and concise solution for your tooth restorations. The technology allows many procedures, such as CEREC crowns, and veneers,  to be completed in just one office visit.  Additionally, other traditional dental methods, such as braces, can not only be extremely uncomfortable, they can also impact everyday activities such as eating and drinking. Cosmetic dentistry can offer alternatives, like Invisalign, which are removable, discrete and easy to clean.

 By combining a comprehensive understanding of dental techniques and technology with a passion for aesthetics, a cosmetic dentist can not only design your ideal smile but help you maintain better overall dental health.

About The Art of Dentistry

Located in San Diego, Dr. David Landau, Dr. Lawrence Addleson and their extraordinary team are widely recognized for their top-quality smile designs. They have been awarded with recognition from their  peers for many consecutive years and have been credited for the “whole body” approach to cosmetic dentistry.

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