Almost everyone has some cosmetic defect in their smile that they’d like to get rid of. It’s been that way since the beginning of history, and various cultures have used many techniques to achieve prettier teeth. Here’s a brief guide to a few primitive cosmetic dental techniques as well as several modern treatments that can safely and effectively enhance your grin and your confidence.
Primitive Teeth Whitening Sounds Pretty Frightening
Throughout history, many cultures have seen white teeth as a sign of beauty and status. Peoples throughout the world have chewed fibrous plants to whiten their grins, but the ancient Romans had an especially unsettling method. They found that they could whiten their teeth by rinsing their mouths with their own urine. While the ammonia in this bodily fluid is a cheap, accessible, and effective bleaching agent, this mouthwash was nonetheless terrible for maintaining pleasant breath.
If you wanted whiter teeth in medieval Europe, you’d go see a barber, who in those days tended to customers’ grooming and surgical needs. One popular treatment involved the barber roughing up the patient’s enamel with a file and treating it with a few coats of nitric acid. While this would remove stains by burning away the outermost layers of enamel, it also left the treated teeth more vulnerable to injury, infection, and loss in the long run.
How Can My Dentist Improve My Smile Today?
Thankfully, modern dentistry has come a long way since the days of using urine or enamel-killing nitric acid to brighten teeth. Your dentist can administer a customized teeth whitening treatment that will deliver results far superior to those of store-bought dental bleaching products. This treatment can take the form of either an in-office procedure that can be carried out in about an hour or a take-home kit that can be completed over two weeks. Either way, your teeth will be left up to eight shades brighter.
If you have minor chips, cracks, gaps, or stains in your smile, cosmetic dental bonding may be the best way to address the issue. By applying a small amount of tooth-colored composite resin to a dental defect, shaping the pasty substance so it matches the curves of your tooth, and hardening it with an ultraviolet light, your dentist can give you a lifelike restoration that can last for up to three years with excellent care. This painless procedure is typically completed without anesthesia, meaning patients can drive home afterward.
Cosmetic dentistry has allowed millions of people to enjoy prettier smiles and greater confidence. Consulting with your dentist can help you find out if any cosmetic treatments are right for you.
About the Practice
Sweet Smiles Family Dentistry offers the finest oral healthcare available in Mt. Pleasant. Led by Drs. Zahir Siddiqui and Sumit Chanana, the staff treats each patient with the utmost courtesy and excellent customer service in a warm and comforting office environment. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dentistry. To schedule your cosmetic dental consultation, contact the office online or dial (262) 672-2393.