Get Answers: What a Cosmetic Dentist Can Do For You

As a cosmetic dentist, we have a much narrower focus than a traditional dentist. In fact, it has been stated that our work augments that of a general dentist by providing the aesthetics to go with the functionality. There are very clear differences between a cosmetic dentist in Washington, DC and a general dentist in Washington, DC. The most important difference is that with a general dentist, they have to treat diseases and things that are required to be treated, while as a cosmetic dentist in Washington, DC, we get to work on things you elect to do. What this means is that while your regular dentist focuses all their attention on preventative medicine, ensuring they catch and fix any oral diseases and diagnosing problems, our job is to help you have a brighter, more beautiful smile with perfect teeth. The truth is, however, it is not quite as cut and dried as that. Cosmetic dentists have long made forays into the world of general dentistry as well, and with modern science, there are far more crossovers than not.

A great way to think of cosmetic dentistry is to look at how something like a dental filling has changed because of the cosmetic dentist. If you're lucky enough to never have had a filling, it is used to correct decay that has caused a small hole to appear in your enamel. From an oral health perspective, it is important to get all the decay out and then plug the hole, so oral bacteria cannot gather in it and start the decaying process all over again. To prevent this, we fill the cavity. In the past, cavities were almost always filled with gold or amalgam, which made it very obvious you had a cavity filled. Dentists like your cosmetic dentist in Washington, DC changed all of that with porcelain and composite fillings. These fillings are designed to look and be the same shade and color as your natural teeth. They blend in with the natural tooth, so the filling doesn't ever look like a filling.

The world of the cosmetic dentist has expanded well beyond the walls of the aesthetically pleasing. Make no mistake, we are still relentlessly focused on giving you the best teeth possible. At the same time, there has been a massive acceptance of the procedures and processes we use by mainstream dentistry and the general public. Today, you can walk into any grocery store and see products advertising their ability to whiten your teeth. Dental veneers, once relegated to fake “Hollywood Smiles,” are now accepted as a great way to fix cracks, chips, and even small breaks in the teeth, besides helping to correct some bite issues. Dental crowns are used universally to cap teeth too far gone to save, or to replace teeth in conjunction with dental implants. In every sense, cosmetic dentistry has become part of general dentistry, creating beautiful smiles while still fixing teeth.