What is cosmetic dentistry? Cosmetic dentistry refers to any dental work that improves the appearance of teeth, gums, and the patient's bite. It primarily focuses on improvement in the dental appearance of the patient as well as the facial profile. It also focuses on the color, position, shape, size, alignment, and overall smile makeover. Cosmetic dental issues Cosmetic dental issues may arise when the teeth are either stained, crooked, or broken (misshapen). These can affect the smile makeover. They are described as follows: Stained Teeth Tooth staining is a common occurrence that can happen for various reasons, including our food and drink choices, oral hygiene, and medication use. Teeth stains occur on the surface of the tooth or below the tooth enamel, and some people develop both types of teeth stains, which can be extrinsic and intrinsic. *Extrinsic staining: In extrinsic tooth staining, it is likely that the stains only affect the tooth's enamel or surface. Extrinsic tooth stains are typically caused by tobacco use or by regularly drinking coffee and tea, wine, or cola drinks. *Intrinsic staining: This type of stain is located within the tooth, making it more resistant to over-the-counter whitening products. It often appears grayish. This type of stain is situated in the tooth, making it more resistant to over-the-counter whitening products. It often appears grayish. Some of the intrinsic stains include certain medications, trauma or injury to a tooth, tooth decay, excessive fluoride use, and genetics. The common causes of the staining of teeth are as follows: *Food & Drink: Coffee, tea, dark sodas, red wine, and even a few fruits and vegetables are proven causes of stained teeth. *Tobacco: Both cigarettes and chewing tobacco can contribute to the staining of teeth. *Oral Care: Poor dental hygiene, such as inadequate brushing or flossing, can lead to tooth staining. *Trauma or Disease: Any trauma, illness, or disease that affects enamel development in children can cause discolored teeth. Trauma to adult teeth can also cause the presence of stains on teeth. Treatment: Teeth whitening has proved an effective treatment method for those patients who have discolored or stained teeth. This helps in a better smile makeover. It is a part of cosmetic dentistry that helps bleach a person's teeth to make them lighter in shade. This does not make the patient's teeth brilliantly white, instead it just tones it down by several shades. Teeth whitening includes both in-office whitening procedures and take-home whitening trays that the patient can do themselves. This procedure is opted by both men and women but is ideal for those who have healthy, unrestored teeth (i.e., has no fillings done) and gums. Patients who have a yellow tone to their teeth show better results. This procedure is not a permanent fix, so follow-up appointments are recommended to ensure that better results are obtained.

Crooked Teeth Crooked or misaligned teeth are very common. Both children and adults may have them. Having crooked teeth can affect the overall facial profile and symmetry of the patient. Issues caused by crooked teeth include periodontal disease, excess wear of tooth surfaces, chewing and digestion problems, speech difficulties, and low self-esteem. There are many reasons why a person may have crooked teeth. They are as follows: *Thumb Sucking: Children who suck their thumb for several years often end up with crooked teeth. The pressure from the thumb consistently applied to the still-growing gums causes the teeth to grow crooked, especially outwards. *Tongue Thrusting: Tongue thrusting has the same effect on the teeth as thumb sucking. It can result in misaligned bites, especially an overbite *Misaligned Teeth: Misaligned teeth are caused when the size of the upper or the lower jaw is smaller than usual. Misaligned jaws result in problems such as overbite and underbite *Facial Injury: Facial trauma, such as a jaw injury, can result in displaced teeth or misaligned bites. The jaw shifts slightly from its original position, which causes the teeth to grow in a crooked position. Treatment: For a better smile makeover, teeth straightening is opted by using braces. It is a process of aligning and moving the patient's teeth into the correct position according to a person's bite by using external force and pressure. When considering teeth straightening, there are many options that include traditional braces (metal, ceramic or lingual braces) and clear aligners. Braces are used when the patient has an overbite, underbite, open bite, teeth spacing, or teeth crowding. Aligners are opted for when the patient does not want any food restrictions, and it is less time-consuming. Additionally, these are plastic, so there is less pain and discomfort.

Broken or Misshapen Teeth A forceful blow or excessive wear and tear can cause teeth to become misshapen or break. The result is a jagged tooth surface that can be sharp, tender, and disfiguring. Broken teeth have several reasons. Common causes include: *Biting down on hard substances, like ice or hard candy *Falls or car accidents *Playing contact sports without a mouthguard *Grinding their teeth when asleep Risk factors for chipped teeth that reduce the strength of a tooth include: *Tooth decay and cavities eat away at the enamel *Large fillings also tend to weaken teeth *Teeth grinding can wear down enamel *Eating a lot of acid-producing foods, such as fruit juices, coffee, and spicy foods *Acid reflux or heartburn, two digestive conditions, can bring stomach acid up into your mouth *Sugar which produces bacteria in your mouth, and that bacteria can attack the enamel Treatment: The smile makeover, in this case, is done by the use of tooth veneers. Veneers are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve the patient’s appearance. Dental veneers can be made from porcelain or resin composite materials. They mimic the light-reflecting properties of natural teeth. Veneers offer the patient many benefits, including a natural tooth appearance, gums can tolerate porcelain well, they are stain-resistant, and the desired color can be selected to make dark teeth appear whiter.