Dental contouring is also called tooth reshaping and is exactly what it claims to be—this cosmetic procedure effectively reshapes your teeth. People may consider dental contouring if they want their teeth to have a more uniform appearance.
Tooth reshaping may be the right choice for people who want to subtly alter the appearance of their teeth but don’t need dramatic cosmetic work done. Here’s how dental contouring may be able to help you and what you can expect during your appointment.
Issues Dental Contouring Can Fix
Dental contouring is considered to be a cosmetic procedure, meaning it won’t be able to fix any major issues with your teeth. However, dental contouring can fix several cosmetic issues with your smile, including:
Pointy or irregularly shaped teeth
Visible chips in the teeth
Teeth that overlap
Uneven length of neighboring teeth
Tooth reshaping procedures are most often done on the upper front teeth such as your central incisors, lateral incisors, and sometimes the canines, as these teeth are seen the most when you smile.
How Dental Contouring Is Done
During your consultation for dental contouring, your dentist will want to take x-rays to evaluate your oral health to determine if tooth reshaping is the right procedure for you.
Tooth reshaping is used to fix smaller imperfections in the smile, so if you’re looking for more extensive work or dramatic results, this procedure might not be your best choice.
If you and your dentist decide to move forward with the procedure, you’ll discuss what teeth you want reshaped and why. During your actual appointment for dental contouring, your dentist will use tools to remove a small amount of tooth enamel to subtly change the shape, length, or appearance of one or more of your teeth.
The amount of enamel removed during this procedure is tiny, but even this miniscule amount can make a difference in the appearance of your teeth. Your dentist may also combine the procedure with tooth bonding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin to correct imperfections.
Finally, your dentist will polish the teeth so that everything looks uniform and normal for your new and improved smile!
Benefits of Tooth Reshaping
One of the best benefits of tooth reshaping is that the procedure is relatively quick and provides instantaneous results. You’ll be able to go home that same day and enjoy your new smile!
Another benefit of tooth reshaping is that it’s a painless procedure that doesn’t require anesthesia. As there aren’t any sensory nerves in your tooth enamel, you won’t feel any pain with the tiny amount of enamel that your dentist removes.
Dental contouring is considered to be a safe procedure that can solve numerous cosmetic issues with your smile that’s cost effective compared to other treatments!
Dental contouring provides an effective, fast solution for people who want minor things changed about their smile. You and your dentist can discuss if this procedure would be the best solution to make changes in your teeth to create a flawless smile. Contact your oral healthcare professional today to ask about dental contouring!
