Responsible Esthetics

                Cosmetic dentistry has been around a long time but has changed dramatically over the years. In the forties, Hollywood starlets would get their teeth capped so that they were “ready for their close-ups Mr. DeMille”. Because techniques and materials were limited back then, much of the tooth structure had to be sacrificed to obtain an acceptable result. Dentistry has progressed through the years and great improvements were made for patient comfort and higher quality care.

But it wasn’t until the early eighties when predicable bonding to teeth was achieved that the modern era of cosmetic dentistry really began. There is a lot of confusion over the term “bonding”. I often hear people say “I had my teeth bonded”, but that could really mean many things. Bonding really refers to the method by which dentist adhere materials to tooth structure. Most commonly, the esthetic materials we bond are composite and porcelain.

                With composite and porcelain; crowns, fillings and veneers can be bonded to the teeth for natural looking tooth colored restorations.  Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain which are bonded over the teeth became very popular because patients were able to receive “smile makeovers” in a few visits, producing dramatic changes in shape and color. This power to transform a person’s smile had its consequences. In my opinion, we became too aggressive and not open to consider other more conservative options.        

                The present era of responsible esthetics aims to achieve excellent cosmetic results while minimizing the removal of healthy tooth structure. Direct composites material can be used to mimic tooth structure so well, many times any preparation of the tooth can be avoided. Porcelain veneers can be made so thin now that no preparation or addition only restorations are possible. The use of adjunctive services such as orthodontics and implant also enable the dentist to provide less invasive and irreversible treatment in the pursuit of beautiful and healthy smiles.

“With great power, comes great responsibility.” --- Spiderman