Reshaping Your Misshapen Teeth Is Easier Than You Think

If you're dissatisfied with your overall smile, there are many options for overhauling it. And yet major results can also be possible with some minor changes. It might not be that you're especially dissatisfied with the shape of your smile, it's more that individual misshapen teeth in your mouth look out of place—however subtle this might be. Cosmetic dentistry has a fix for reshaping individual teeth, and it's surprisingly straightforward.

Healthy Teeth

Despite their irregular shapes, provided your teeth are physically healthy, you're likely to be a suitable candidate for odontoplasty. This is the technical name for tooth reshaping, although some dental clinics may also call it tooth sculpting. It simply involves your dentist modifying the tooth by removing a fractional amount of its mass and sculpting it into a new shape.

Enamel Removal

Having some of your tooth's surface buffed or scraped away might sound like an intensive experience. It's not. The tough outermost surface of your tooth is made of dental enamel, and it's only this enamel that will be affected. Enamel has no nerve endings, and no ability to register any sensations. This means that your tooth reshaping is painless. If your dentist uses a motorized bur (sanding disc) with a rotating head, then the resulting vibrations can trigger minor discomfort in some patients. If so, your jaw can be numbed prior to your tooth reshaping. Otherwise, no pain relief should be needed before or after the procedure.

Prior to the Procedure

Your teeth will be closely inspected prior to your dentist commencing work. You may also need a dental x-ray if one hasn't been performed recently. This is to ensure that you are in fact a suitable candidate for the procedure. Your dentist is essentially checking the health and corresponding thickness of your dental enamel—making sure that a sufficient amount of the layer can be safely removed without leaving the tooth unprotected against decay.

Immediate Results

Once the suitability of your enamel has been confirmed, work can begin. It's quick and easy, is usually performed in a single session, and the results are immediate. You can give your dentist your feedback as soon as the procedure has been finished, and any requested changes can generally be made on the spot, provided they won't remove any more dental enamel than is safe.

The results of tooth reshaping can be eye-catching. Remember that it's not a solution for major dental issues, cosmetic or clinical, but when you have a tooth or two in your mouth that simply needs to have their appearances subtly changed, tooth reshaping can make a big impact. For more information, contact a company like Dr. Pia Cosmetic Dentistry Center.