AESTHETIC DENTISTRY

Aesthetic Dentistry for your Best Smile

Aesthetic Dentistry can help you achieve a smile you are proud of. Your smile is one of the most prominent features of your face. It is also one of the first things people notice about you. How you feel about your smile can affect how you portray yourself to the world. A pleasing and well-maintained smile will reward you in many ways - personally, professionally and socially. 

A smile you are proud of will improve your self-esteem and give you smile confidence; intangible improvements to the quality of life many people often take for granted. Most significantly though, if you feel good about your teeth you, will be more motivated to care for them. A smile that is healthy and well cared for will also look good.

Aesthetic Dentistry is the fusion of biology, function and mechanics to give you your best smile. Aesthetic Dentistry also referred to as Cosmetic Dentistry, is an important component of general dental care.

At Melbourne Dentistry we believe aesthetics, function, and oral health are equally important and interlinked. Our aim is to provide you with natural looking and well functioning results. We wish to inspire you to maintain your teeth well for the long term.

 

Orthodontics Is Also Aesthetic Dentistry

Straightening crooked teeth to enhance the look of the smile is the number one reason patients seek orthodontic treatment. Orthodontics may correct overlapping and protruding teeth, poorly aligned and uneven jaws and unusual facial profiles, for aesthetic reasons alone.

But along with the aesthetic benefits, orthodontic treatment may also improve oral and overall health. Through better jaw alignment function will be improved. More efficient chewing for better mastication is possible. Teeth grinding may be reduced. Speech can be better as correct articulation is possible with an improvement to the position of the upper incisor teeth. Teeth are less prone to trauma when not poorly placed. Early orthodontics can also improve airway development for easier breathing and reduce long term risks for sleep apnea.

Oral hygiene becomes easier when teeth are straight and not severely overlapped. Most significantly though fewer dental health problems ensue throughout life and into older age when better maintenance of teeth is possible.

Aesthetic Dentistry Includes Gum Health

Your gums are often referred to as "the curtains of your smile".  Whether excessive or deficient, the appearance of your gums may often make or break the aesthetics of a final restorative, or orthodontic result. Improved gum maintenance due to a greater emphasis on the aesthetic benefits of preventive care, has improved many smiles - and saved many teeth.

For patients with gum related aesthetic issues, advances in periodontal surgery, recontouring of excessive and uneven gums, or solutions for some gum deficiencies using gum tissue grafting have enabled the reconstruction of more pleasing and symmetric looking smiles, which are also easier to maintain.

Ideal Aesthetics For Accurate Anatomy, Better Function And Oral Health 

Fractured and broken down teeth may now be reconstructed from materials with tooth like properties, as close to what nature intended. Biomimetic restorative techniques achieve better aesthetics and preserve more of a tooth’s natural structure.

Accurately restored tooth contours not only look great, but are also essential for your oral health. Ideal contacts between adjacent teeth prevent food packing between fillings and ensure flossing is readily achievable - to prevent further decay and gum problems.

Correct contacts against opposing teeth properly support your bite and minimize teeth tipping, to prevent the complications associated with uneven tooth wear over the longer term.

Aesthetic Dental Smile Make-over

A demand from both the dental profession and patients to reproduce natural looking smiles has driven the majority of advances we have in cosmetic dentistry today. With a combination of teeth whitening, dental bonding, veneers or porcelain crowns and dentures or dental implants a smile make-over is possible.

Irregularities in tooth colour such as naturally formed variations of tooth enamel defects may be improved with a combination of microabrasion and teeth bleaching. Damage from accidents or trauma, along with tooth darkening associated with root canal treatment, age and lifestyle habits may be corrected.

Visible dark margins and greying of gums around metal-ceramic crowns are becoming less apparent these days due to better gum maintenance and new aesthetic crown materials for full porcelain crowns.

For patients with missing teeth, dental implants have created a whole new world of aesthetic possibilities.  Stand-alone teeth to replace missing teeth are possible with dental implants. Denture aesthetics have never been better. Denture stability has been improved beyond measure where dentures are supported by dental implants.

Social confidence, better speech, nutrition and comfort, along with easier oral hygiene are but a few of the many benefits patients may experience.

Aesthetic Dentistry For Children

Natural looking white teeth are also important for children. We understand the significance of a confident smile, for self-esteem, social development and inclusion. Children will generally want to look like their little friends and be included. Parents may also be concerned about such issues.

Some children with severe dental problems may no longer feel confident smiling. If a young child has discolored or broken down teeth, lots of silver fillings or early tooth loss, they may feel conscious of their teeth in a negative way. They may have experienced dental pain or discomfort and disruption to school attendance in order to manage certain dental issues.

At our practice, Dr Maria focuses on preventive dental care and minimal intervention. We only place white fillings and have also introduced the latest NuSmile® ZR (Zirconia) Paediatric porcelain crowns to restore severely compromised baby teeth in a natural looking way. Metal coloured amalgam fillings and stainless steel crowns may now be avoided. Children's teeth may be restored to look naturally white and be well supported structurally until scheduled to be lost.