Why You Shouldn't Put Off Seeing a Cosmetic Dentist for Crooked Teeth

A cosmetic dentist, such as those at Cosmetic & Laser Dental Clinic, is different than an orthodontist; an orthodontist may align and straighten teeth in order to keep the jaw line healthy and protect the mouth itself from teeth that are dangerously crooked. A cosmetic dentist is one who is concerned about the appearance of the teeth alone. 

A cosmetic dentist may help with orthodontic issues but he or she may not actually straighten teeth to make them look good. Despite this, many patients put off seeing a cosmetic dentist because they assume the procedures they offer for crooked teeth will be very unsightly and take years to work. Note why you shouldn't put off seeing a cosmetic dentist for crooked teeth and the options they may offer for straightening your teeth or just making them look better.

1. Reshaping teeth

If teeth look crooked because they jut out, a cosmetic dentist might reshape the teeth by drilling them down. This can make teeth look straighter as the front of the teeth will be aligned, even if the teeth themselves are still placed out of alignment in the jaw line. 

For teeth that sit back from the jaw line, a cosmetic dentist may add a certain bonding or veneer to the front of the tooth to build it up and build it out. Again, the front of the teeth will look aligned even though the tooth itself has not been moved to actually be in alignment with the rest of the teeth.

2. Capping small teeth

A tooth may look out of alignment simply because it's undersized and, in turn, may seem shorter or sit further back than other teeth. A cap can be placed over this tooth in order to make it the same size as other teeth. The tooth itself doesn't change in size or its position, but the cap will make it look as if it's now aligned simply because it will look bigger and resemble the other teeth in the jaw.

3. Dental implants

Teeth may be out of alignment because of a missing tooth; teeth tend to settle into open pockets of the gums so that they start to look crooked as they shift. In a case like this, a cosmetic dentist may suggest a dental implant, which is a false tooth screwed into the gum line. This can help to nudge other teeth back into place and keep them from settling into that open area any more.

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