For many people, cosmetic dentistry used to just mean getting braces on their teeth. There were other things, such as having caps put on to whiten the teeth or correct other types of flaws, but those kinds of things were just for the rich or famous since it was expensive.
Nowadays, however, there have been so many advances in this field and it has become common in mainstream society. With that, prices for many a procedure has gone down. Though dentists still put braces on people’s teeth and still whiten them with caps, they do so now in much more innovative ways.
If you wish to go really far back, you’ll see methods of cosmetic dentistry consisting of dentures carved out of wood, and teeth whitening done by barbers using nitric acid. Those were quite ancient, and obviously risky, methods and procedures.
However, as little as two or three decades ago, dentists used porcelain materials to cap teeth and fill in gaps, and they’ve used metal braces to straighten teeth for so many decades. Teeth whitening by barbers using enamel-destroying acids made way to fluoride lozenges that also tended to brighten the smile, although later it was found that over-use of fluoride themselves discolored the teeth.
Today, cosmetic dentistry has taken numerous strides forward. Although people do still get metal braces to straighten their teeth, the practice is rapidly becoming rarer. These days, for themselves and for their children, people are opting for the new, clear, plastic aligners that you have to wear in stages, with each stage straightening teeth just a little more until the desired result is finally reached.
What should we look forward to in the field of cosmetic dentistry? Basically, just more improvements in the methods that are being utilized now. More than likely there will be advancements beyond that as well. 3-D Digital imaging of teeth, which is being used now in some cases, will probably play an increasing role in developing cosmetic dentistry procedures and prosthetics.
Beauty
