Cosmetic Dentistry

Who does it?
● Cosmetic Dentist

AKA Smile Makeover

What is it?
Cosmetic Dentistry encompasses a number of different procedures all geared towards giving you the smile of your dreams.

Your cosmetic dentist will be able to put together a comprehensive treatment plan that might combine two or more separate treatments. Also see the individual treatment information on Invisible Braces and Dental Implant Surgery.

Teeth Whitening

Who is suitable?
If your teeth are generally in good condition but are stained from nicotine, caffeine, red wine, or just from general wear and tear, then tooth whitening is probably a good option.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women are often advised to avoid it, although there is no evidence that it can be damaging to the child.

What’s the treatment actually like?
You can have teeth whitening either in clinic or at home. Either way, a chemical called carbamide peroxide is used, which reacts with the acid on your teeth to form hydrogen peroxide, a powerful bleaching agent.

If you choose an at home treatment, your practitioner will take a mould of your teeth, then give you some customised trays and the carbamide peroxide. You will probably be advised to whiten your teeth in stages, wearing the trays for a few hours each day.

In-clinic treatments usually use a laser or other light source to speed up the process, giving you instantly whiter teeth. It usually takes about an hour.

What happens afterwards?
You might be put on a maintenance programme, but usually the best way to maintain results is to avoid smoking or drinking too much tea, coffee or red wine.

Professional teeth whitening can lighten your teeth by up to ten shades. Yellowing nashers are very ageing so you’ll be amazed how such a simple treatment can roll back the years.

Cost
From £500

Cosmetic Gum Treatments

Who is suitable?
Cosmetic gum treatments are usually performed to treat either receding gums or the opposite problem – a gummy smile.

Both problems can be genetic or caused by lifestyle or medical reasons. Your dentist will advise whether you are a candidate for treatment.

What’s the treatment like?
Options include gum contouring and gum grafts. Contouring is performed to deal with gummy smiles and involves the use of a laser to trim away excess gum tissue and re-shape the gums to a more attractive shape.

It usually takes about an hour and is performed under local anaesthetic. The laser cauterises blood vessels at the same time, so there is minimal bleeding.

For receding gums, a gum graft is performed. The dentist takes a small strip of gum tissue, usually from the roof of the mouth, and transfers it to cover the receding gums. The tissue should reattach itself and form a new layer of gum.

What happens afterwards?
You should heal very quickly after gum contouring, with little if any downtime. Any discomfort caused by gum grafting should settle after a week and the results from both should be permanent.

Cost Gum contouring costs upwards of £150. Gum grafting can cost around £500.

Veneers/Lumineers

Who is suitable?
Veneers are wafer thin laminates, usually made of porcelain or a composite bonding material, that are placed over the natural tooth. They are suitable for stained, damaged or crooked teeth.

What’s the treatment like?
Your mouth will need to be prepared beforehand, which usually involves filing down your natural teeth and can be quite painful.

Lumineers, however, which are both thinner and stronger than traditional porcelain veneers, require only a moderate shaving of the tooth structure and so may be a good option if your teeth are generally in good condition.

A mould is then taken of your mouth and sent off to a lab, where your veneers will be made. This can take up to three weeks, so your dentist might some temporary veneers in fit the meantime.

When your veneers are ready, they will be fitted into your mouth and bonded in place.

What happens afterwards?
You’ll need to maintain a good oral hygiene programme to help keep your veneers in good condition.

Porcelain veneers will last for up to ten years, but composite veneers may only last for a couple of years. So even though porcelain veneers are more expensive they represent much better value for money.

Lumineers give a guarantee that they will last up to twenty years.

Cost
Depending on the type of veneer that you choose, it can cost anything from £300 up to a whopping £1,500 per tooth.