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dental or tooth
contouring : There are two types of contouring that
are used in cosmetic dentistry: contouring of the teeth
and contouring of the gums. Cosmetic contouring of the
teeth has been used for a number of years to reshape
and straighten natural teeth. It can be used for broken,
chipped, long, crooked, or irregularly shaped teeth.
Tooth contouring gives the illusion of a good, natural
alignment, while being minimally invasive. It is quick,
relatively inexpensive and usually requires no anesthesia.
Factors that need to be considered
before contouring the teeth include the thickness of
the tooth, exposed underlying dentin, and overall tooth
structure. Your dentist may take an x-ray before the
procedure to make sure that your tooth is thick enough
to allow for it to be contoured with creating problems.
Over-contouring can result in sensitive teeth, or even
make the tooth susceptible to breakage.
gum contouring: Gum
contouring can be as simple as removing some of the
gum tissue to eliminate a "gummy" smile or
more complicated, involving removal of both bone and
gum tissue. If just a small amount of tissue needs to
be removed, a diode laser can be used to remove tissue
with anesthesia.This
can usually be accomplished is 15 to 30 minutes.
If a larger amount of tissue
needs to be removed, then gum and bone surgery is required
in a procedure called crown lengthening. This involves
1 to 2 hours, with a required healing period of 4 to
6 weeks.
cost: Tooth and gum contouring
can range in cost from $50 to $350 per tooth.
results: Once the teeth
and / or gums are reshaped, composite
bonding or porcelain
veneers can be used to further improve the appearance
fo the surface of the teeth. The results of either tooth
contouring or gum contouring are usually permanent,
resulting in a beautiful smile.
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