Did you know that the idea of cosmetic dental surgery is not a new one? The skeleton of an ancient Mayan woman was found with bits of shell inserted into the jawbone in place of missing teeth. An ancient Chinese skeleton showed bamboo shoots serving the same purpose. The health and functionality of our teeth have apparently been important for quite a long time. Thankfully, our technology has improved dramatically in the intervening centuries.
Cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry used to be very separate endeavors. Both have always dealt with the teeth, but cosmetic dentistry has traditionally been focused on only the appearance of the teeth, while general dentistry focused on the health of the teeth. Certain services, such as chemical whitening and porcelain veneers, still deal almost exclusively with how our teeth look, but as recent discoveries have linked overall physical health to the health of our teeth, the other procedures have a foot firmly in both camps.
Dental implants are perhaps the best example of this. Implants are titanium rods that are inserted into the jawbone (much like the bits of shell and bamboo shoots of antiquity, but much more humanely applied), which then act as replacement roots for false teeth. This procedure clearly improves the aesthetic appeal of one’s smile, but just as clearly improves the function of the mouth.
Even in the few decades titanium implants have existed, the technique and materials used in cosmetic dental surgery has made massive strides forward. Today, an entire set of upper or lower teeth can be securely placed on as few as four implants. Mini-implants also exist which require less space to insert and dramatically less healing time
Whether you’ve lost teeth due to disease or an accident, or you’ve just always wanted to improve your smile, ask a cosmetic dentist about the modern options available to you through cosmetic dental surgery. Find a dentist who either performs the surgery themselves or who can readily recommend a good surgeon who does. And make your less-than-perfect smile a thing of the distant past. Read more.
