In cosmetic dentistry, some procedures are more popular than others.
Teeth whitening is one example. Orthodontics are another, and dental veneers have become more common in recent years.
But there are many more ways that you can improve the appearance of your smile. We want to talk about two of them today that have to do with the size of your teeth.
Tooth contouring and crown lengthening are great ways to change your smile at our office in Woodbury, MN. Our dentist, Dr. Mark W. Wilhelm, can redefine what your smile looks like with either of these procedures.
So, what are they? Who are good candidates for these services?
We will answer these questions below, or you can make an appointment with us. We will be happy to answer your questions about any of our cosmetic services. Call (651) 319-9064 or contact us online.
What Is Tooth Contouring?
All you have to do is look around at the people you meet each day to realize that the human body comes in a variety of shapes and forms. That’s also true for individual body parts like our fingers, ears, noses, and chins.
So, it may not be a surprise to learn that teeth can be very different, too, even within the same smile.
It is possible that you have a tooth or teeth that look long or large in comparison to the rest of your mouth. This can affect people in a few ways.
First, a larger-than-average tooth could be a distraction when you smile. If you’ve become aware of this, it also can make you feel self-conscious about smiling or speaking in front of other people.
Second, when you have teeth that seem too large for your mouth, this can lead to greater wear and tear on the teeth above or below the long tooth. That could wear down the enamel on those teeth, which could leave you more vulnerable to tooth decay and cavities.
Tooth contouring is a way of removing some of the enamel of a tooth to make it a little smaller. This will help the tooth blend in with the rest of your smile, and it can reduce the effects of rubbing against nearby teeth.
Before we perform this procedure, however, we will take digital X-rays. This will allow Dr. Wilhelm to better determine how much enamel can be removed without exposing the innermost parts of your tooth.
What Is Crown Lengthening?
In a way, the name of this treatment is a bit of a misnomer. Dr. Wilhelm won’t actually be making your tooth larger. Instead, he will be exposing more of your tooth so more of it is visible.
You may be interested in this procedure if you have “short” teeth or a “gummy” smile. This can happen if your teeth don’t erupt very much from your gums. This also can be the result of having excess gum tissue.
In general, a gummy smile would be one in which gum tissue is more noticeable than teeth. If you feel this is the case with your smile, Dr. Wilhelm can help you change it.
During this procedure, he will remove a portion of your gum tissue. This will make your teeth more prominent when you smile.
We also should point out that you may have more gum tissue in some parts of your mouth than others. Removing gum tissue from certain areas can give a more uniform appearance to your gumline, and that too can improve the appearance of your smile.
Crown lengthening isn’t strictly done for cosmetic reasons, however. If you needed a dental crown or bridge, for example, we may need a certain amount of tooth available to support your restoration. Crown lengthening can create the space needed for that procedure.
Make It Part Of A Smile Makeover
If you are interested in either of these procedures, we want your smile to look its absolute best.
Either tooth contouring or crown lengthening can improve the overall appearance of your smile.
And you can take it one step further by combining your treatment of choice with another service like our professional teeth whitening. This way, you can remove the stains from your smile while reshaping it to make the overall effect even more noticeable.
If you would like to find out more about contouring, lengthening, or any of our services, call (651) 319-9064. You can also request a consultation by contacting us online.
