Can You Change Your Teeth Structure?

Imperfections in your smile, slight as they may be, can sometimes mean the difference between a good smile and a great smile. Irregularly-shaped teeth, tiny chips, or even a slight misalignment may seem like flaws you have to live with, but they’re not. Today’s advances in dental technology offer many ways to restructure your teeth and create that perfect smile. Read on as a Miami Beach, FL dentist talks about dental restructuring and the things it can do. What Is Dental Restructuring? Dental restructuring, also known as tooth reshaping and dental contouring, is a cosmetic technique that changes the length, shape, or surface of one or more teeth. It involves removing tiny amounts of a tooth’s outer covering or enamel. In some instances, a dentist may combine tooth reshaping with bonding to improve your tooth’s overall appearance. Bonding entails adding a resin-type material to a tooth. In effect, most minor imperfections, such as chips, uneven teeth, or poor alignment can be corrected by dental restructuring. And these procedures cause little to no discomfort or pain! How Is Dental Restructuring Done? The first thing the dentist will do is X-ray your tooth to determine the amount of enamel on them and the location of each tooth’s pulp, which resides in the center of the tooth. This is done to ensure there’s enough enamel to work with. From there, the dentist will shorten longer teeth, trim uneven areas, and alter badly misshapen teeth. Once completed, the dentist will smooth and polish the treated areas. Dental restructuring may require just one 30-minute appointment depending on the amount of work you need done.

How Does Bonding Help?

Bonding works to further enhance the appearance of your teeth when combined with tooth reshaping. The resin-type material can be used to add shape, fill in chips and gaps between your teeth, and even improve the color of your tooth or teeth. The resin used during a bonding procedure is colored to match or improve the natural color of your tooth.

While not everyone will require the added bonding component, the bonding part of the dental restructuring process takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete.

Who’s a Good Candidate for Dental Restructuring?

A good candidate for dental restructuring will have:

• Healthy teeth, meaning no tooth decay
• Have chipped or fractured teeth
• Teeth appear crowded or overlap
• Teeth have pits or grooves in the enamel

Ultimately, the best way to find out if dental restructuring is right for you is to schedule a consultation with our dentist.

If you have more questions or wish to schedule a consultation, please feel free to call our Miami Beach, FL dentist office today.