Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic Dentistry in Albania

The definition of cosmetic dentistry is something that has been built and developed over time. It is a technique specialized in gingival and dental remodeling. Its main priority is to solve the problems associated with oral health and the aesthetic harmony of the mouth in general.

In the beginning, it sought purely aesthetic results, so it was thought that this type of procedure was a luxury, a frivolity. However, current studies have determined that the lack of dental esthetics is the cause of problems of self-esteem, social relations, and even lack of job opportunities.

Therefore, the treatments associated with this branch of dentistry have begun to be considered fundamental to correct details and defects allowing to obtain the desired smile.

What are the common problems?

Many people consider dental aesthetics a healthy way to maintain not only a nice face but also general health. The oral area is very important for the human being and can be affected by a multitude of problems, some as:

Dental asymmetry.
The separation between the front teeth.

Change of color.
It caries in the part closest to the gum.

Fractures of the teeth.

Nowadays, advances in dentistry help us to create stunning, very natural, and beautiful smiles, being this an essential part of our image. It is very common for people to look at their mouths during a conversation, and a well-groomed smile can have a positive influence on the person in front of us.

What are the treatments?

There are multiple procedures to treat aesthetics and oral health, most of them are simple processes that can be performed on an outpatient basis, some of them are:

Teeth whitening: it is an aesthetic treatment that allows to lighten several shades of the color of the teeth, solving the problem of color produced by causes such as certain medications or coloring substances, whether tea, coffee, snuff, red wine among others, including certain foods.

It has no whitening effect on any type of restorations such as composites, amalgam, crowns, nor does it produce any damage to tooth structures. An indispensable condition to achieve optimal results with whitening is that the patient is free of dental tartar and the gums are in good condition (free of bleeding and gingivitis).

In case you resort to whitening, you must take into account when it is not convenient or what are its “limits”.

Do you suffer from tooth sensitivity? Whitening products are not recommended in this case, as they can increase the discomfort and worsen the situation.

When there is any other oral pathology. It is contraindicated in case of periodontal disease, caries, or tooth fracture. It should be taken into account that bleaching agents that release oxygen to destroy the pigments are aggressive.

If you have a filling in a front tooth. The treatment does not act on certain materials and you will notice the difference.

They can affect the gum and the tooth. Isn’t it true that when we touch hydrogen peroxide it leaves our skin white and can even cause itching? Well, imagine that on a gum! It can burn it, or irreversibly damage the teeth. That is why it is essential to go to a trusted specialist.

How they work. What some “whitening” kinds of toothpaste do is mainly “polish” with abrasive substances. They can be used to remove surface stains. Others temporarily stain the tooth with violet particles that attach to the enamel and counteract the yellow of the dentin, creating an optical illusion.

They have limited whitening power. Household whitening products contain hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Both give off oxygen, which destroys the pigments. But since oxygen is very labile, it evaporates or mixes with the atmosphere in the case of toothpaste.

Porcelain veneers: Porcelain veneers are sheets of porcelain that are adhered to the front of the teeth to change their shape, color, or position and this way improve their esthetic appearance. With this technique, very satisfactory results are achieved without being aggressive with the tooth, since it is only necessary to slightly prepare the front side of the teeth to be treated.

Composite veneers: This technique allows, without practically touching the teeth and in a single clinical session, the correction of shape, color, size, position, diastemas (separation between teeth) to improve the patient’s smile, making it a predictable and conservative technique. These veneers are bonded with a special adhesive to the tooth, so strong that they will not separate. As they are made by a dentist, it facilitates and simplifies their subsequent maintenance over time.

Porcelain crowns: When teeth have much deteriorated it is necessary to wrap them in their entirety to protect them from possible fractures, for which porcelain caps or crowns are made. With them, highly esthetic results can be obtained, similar to those obtained with veneers, since they do not contain dark metalcore like those made of metal and porcelain.

Porcelain is a totally biocompatible material, which means that there will be no adverse reactions (such as allergies) and over time, unlike metal crowns, there will be no unsightly metal edges or darkened gums due to lack of brightness. In those cases in which the tooth to be treated has a very dark color, porcelain crowns with zirconium core can be chosen. These are designed and manufactured by computer using dental CAD-CAM technology, which will allow hiding this darkening without having to resort to metal since zirconium is very opaque and hides the dark color perfectly and successfully.

Inlay-Onlay-overlay: These are indirect restorations made by the prosthetic laboratory to repair teeth with moderate to severe caries lesions that have enough relatively healthy tooth structure to avoid placing a crown and keep that structure intact.

On the other hand, they can be used to restore fractured teeth if the damage is not so severe as to require a crown. They are made with either porcelain or composite resins and are placed using adhesive techniques. When the laboratory is involved in the process, they will be performed in two clinical sessions, the first one in which the tooth will be prepared and the mold will be taken and then sent to the laboratory where the inlay will be made to measure. Then, in the second session, it will be tested to proceed to cement.

Orthodontics: Some types of orthodontic treatments are also categorized within dental esthetics. Among them is the correction of the alignment of the teeth and the bite, the way the upper and lower teeth close, to achieve a perfectly harmonious smile.

The use of invisible orthodontics has meant a great advance in treatments to correct the position of the teeth. From brackets that are placed on the inside of the tooth, to the new invisible aligners that consist of wearing a transparent cover adapted to the teeth for as long as possible.

Gingivectomy: The aesthetic gingival contouring or gingivectomy is a small surgery that is performed under local anesthesia. Many times it does not even require stitches. It consists of modifying the gum levels so that they have a harmonious and proportionate size in relation to the teeth.

Aesthetics and enhancement

To obtain the aesthetic improvement desired by the patient, the treatment is done in a personalized way, choosing the procedures that best suit your own situation. After a facial analysis, the experts in dental aesthetics propose the changes possible in each person, according to their features and the proportions of the face and mouth.

Based on this study, the dentist diagnoses and makes a treatment plan, explaining the procedures the patient needs to achieve the desired results. These interventions can be very different and even combine several techniques. Some of them have already been explained.

However, it should be taken into account that, to opt for a treatment of this nature, it is necessary to have good oral health. Anyone can enjoy these treatments. However, previous conditions must be met. That is to say, if you have, for example, caries or periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) it is necessary to solve this problem to opt for the esthetic procedure.

Simple solutions to some problems

If you have noticed that your teeth have darkened, you can try to restore their natural shade, but keep in mind that sometimes it is not necessary to resort to aggressive treatments:

External stains may be due to certain bacteria (chromogenic), food pigments (such as tannins), chlorhexidine in mouthwashes, or tobacco. They are eliminated by dental cleaning and regular brushing after every meal. They are not a real problem if hygienic habits are maintained.

Those that have penetrated the dentin through porous enamel or those that have been generated inside the tooth are more difficult to remove. In this case, it is possible to resort to professional whitening treatments or white porcelain veneers (a few sheets that the dentist sticks on the tooth).

At Amaris Dental Clinic in Albania, we specialize in making your smile the best, with both aesthetic and surgical treatments at the best price on the European continent. We offer everything, from teeth whitening to orthodontics. You won’t regret it, visit us!