Cosmetic dentistry: colour, shape and gaps

What problems cosmetic dentistry solves

Cosmetic dentistry covers treatments that improve the look of your smile without giving up on the health of teeth and gums. The most common reasons for a consultation are three: colour, teeth darkened or stained by coffee, tobacco or the passing years; shape, from wear, small chips or irregular edges; and gaps, the spaces between teeth that show when you smile.

Whitening: when the problem is colour

If your teeth are healthy and well aligned but have lost their brightness, teeth whitening is usually the starting point. It's the most conservative treatment, because it doesn't change the tooth's structure: it acts only on its shade. Before applying it we check the state of the enamel and gums, because whitening a mouth with decay or inflammation is not good practice.

Veneers: shape, size and gaps

When the problem goes beyond colour — worn or chipped teeth, differences in size, gaps whitening can't close — dental veneers let us redesign the visible face of the tooth and achieve a uniform result in colour and shape.

How the treatment is decided

There's no «default» cosmetic treatment. At your first visit we examine your mouth, listen to what you'd like to change and assess which option achieves it with the least intervention possible. Two criteria always guide the decision:

• Health comes first: decay, tartar or gum problems are treated before starting any cosmetic treatment.
• From less to more: if whitening solves the problem, we don't suggest veneers. And when both are combined, whitening is done first, to choose the veneer shade against the final tooth colour.

If you'd like to know which option suits your case, book an appointment and we'll assess it at your first visit.