Sometimes, a dental misalignment does not strongly affect your bite. As a result, traditional braces may not be required to correct the appearance of the teeth.
If you have crooked teeth and no serious bite issues, there are multiple cosmetic dental applications that could be used to improve the look of your smile. Here are a few of them:
Veneers
Dental veneers can be made of porcelain or resin. Each veneer is fashioned to look like the front of a tooth and is paper thin. Once veneers are in place, they conceal your misalignment and give the illusion of straight teeth.
To create a veneer via traditional means, the dentist must first take an impression of your mouth. The mold is submitted to a dental laboratory, where the veneer is fabricated. Once the veneer has been created, it is sent back to the dental office to be applied to your tooth. The fabrication of a veneer usually takes several weeks, so a subsequent dental visit is required for application.
Before a veneer can be positioned on a tooth, a small portion of the enamel from the front surface of the tooth must be removed. This allows the veneer to rest on the tooth without causing unfavorable changes to your bite.
Resin veneers last for years, but they are not as durable as the porcelain variation. The resin is a type of plastic, so it is more likely to wear away over time. Both materials can be produced in the whitest hue to brighten your teeth as the veneers correct the appearance of your misalignment.
Plastic Aligners
Plastic aligners can shift the teeth into a straight alignment. When your dentist or orthodontist prescribes plastic aligners, he or she creates a mold of your teeth. This mold is used to create sets of aligners that progressively straighten the teeth. Each set is donned for a few weeks and then replaced by the next prescribed aligner set.
The aligners are made of clear plastic, so they are not obvious on the teeth. Also, they can be removed. This is helpful when you eat or brush your teeth, since there are no obstructions to accommodate.
Still, aligners can only be used to straighten the teeth of teens and adults, because the palate of the patient must be completely grown.
To learn more ways to improve the look of your crooked teeth, schedule an appointment with a dentist like Family First Dentistry LLC.
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