If you’re wondering what it takes to achieve a brilliantly white and dazzling smile, it turns out that it takes quite a lot. We’ve all seen the Hollywood A-listers showing off a brilliantly white set of teeth and smile, but do you know how they achieve such a wonderful set of teeth? While we can’t speak for everybody, there’s a good chance that the vast majority of people out there will a fabulously white set of teeth, have had significant amounts of dental work carried out on their smiles. The dental industry is one of the most lucrative on the face of the earth, and when you consider the procedures that these experts carry out on a daily basis, it’s hard not to be impressed. To help you get a better idea of how a brilliant white smile can be achieved, here’s a look at 5 types of popular cosmetic dentistry procedures.
Braces
If you cast your mind back to your school days, you can probably remember at least one or two kids that had braces fitted. You yourself may even have had them fitted. Braces are dental devices which are utilized in order to ensure that the teeth remain perfectly straight, aligned, and symmetrical. This is not only related to the aesthetics of the teeth, but also to bite-related issues too such as underbite and overbite. They help to keep the teeth straight by exerting constant, yet mild, the pressure to the teeth to keep them straight and aligned.
Dental veneers
Dental veneers are specially designed by orthodontists and typically are made from ceramic. They are designed to basically resemble an entire set of healthy and natural teeth.
Based on the information provided on New York Total Dental’s website “Veneers have an advantage over other porcelain restorations because they allow for a very conservative approach”. These thin veneers are custom made and basically fit over to outside of your teeth, creating the illusion of white, healthy, and shiny teeth. They’re great as they will hide misaligned, damaged, discolored, or even missing teeth. They’re attached and fitted using a dental adhesive and they look fantastic.
Implants and bridges
Dental implants are fantastic for people that happen to be suffering from missing teeth. A missing tooth can cause a person a great deal of anxiety and emotional distress, and it can really knock a person’s self-confidence. Dental implants, however, are the perfect solution for people suffering from missing teeth. Dental implants are artificial roots, which are screwed into the gums. Dental bridges are then attached to the implants. Dental bridges are false teeth which are firmly anchored in place by the other teeth and the implant mimicking the root. Dental bridges consist of two dental crowns attached to the neighboring teeth on either side of the missing tooth, along with the artificial tooth in the center, which is then firmly screwed onto the implant. Implants and bridges look incredibly real, they’re comfortable, and they’re extremely practical as well.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns, sometimes known as dental caps, are specially designed and custom-made sleeves or covers, which fit over existing teeth which have been damaged, decayed, or discolored. You will visit your dentist, who will evaluate your teeth and then take a mold of the tooth/teeth in question. The mold will then be sent off to a lab, where a dental technician will custom make the crown, usually from porcelain. Crowns can also be made from metal, or from acrylic. When crowns are made, they won’t only be designed to perfectly fit over the affected tooth/teeth in question, they will also be designed to as closely resemble your natural teeth as possible. Color matching techniques are utilized with great effect. Before your permanent crown is ready, you’ll usually have a temporary crown fitted. The next time you visit the dentist when it is time to have your crown fitted, your temporary cap will be removed, and the porcelain crown will be cemented on. Dental crowns typically last at least 15 years, if not longer.
Dental Extractions
This next procedure will probably give you the creeps. As you probably know, sometimes the teeth can decay or become damaged. Sometimes this damage can be rectified, but in extreme cases, the teeth may die, in which case they will need to be extracted. It sounds extreme, but don’t worry, thanks to numbing creams and anesthetic injections, when the tooth is removed by your dentist, you won’t actually feel a thing. Your mouth and gums may be a little sore afterward for a day or so, but ultimately, the benefits hugely outweigh the negatives.
Nina Smith 
Kim Marks