Tooth reshaping or dental contouring is a fairly inexpensive cosmetic dentistry procedure that involves making subtle changes to big front teeth to improve your smile. At a cost of between $50 and $300 per tooth, you can fix dental imperfections such as irregularly shaped or overlapping teeth, excessively pointy cuspids, or minute chips with tooth reshaping to improve your smile almost instantly. This process involves removing small bits of tooth enamel in order to change the surface, shape, or size of one or more teeth.
Tooth reshaping and contouring procedure
A beautiful smile can be the most attractive feature on your face. A great smile is an asset in your social, business, and personal life, allowing you to express health, youth, success, and sincerity. So, it is important that you are pleased with how your smile looks. If not, you should talk to your dentist about tooth reshaping and contouring.
The procedure is done in a single office visit, and involves the following steps
Step 1: Dental checkup
The treatment starts with a dental checkup to ensure that the teeth requiring adjusting are healthy, and that there are no underlying problems with your teeth or gums. To determine how much contouring can be done without causing damage, the dentist will take x-rays of the teeth being reshaped to assess the thickness of the tooth enamel and location of the tooth nerves. Some offices use computer-imaging to create an outline of the tooth before contouring, in order to determine exactly how the adjustments will be carried out.
Step 2: Taking before and after pictures of teeth reshaping
The dentist will take before-and-after pictures of your mouth to help you identify the changes in your smile for your satisfaction.
Reference: Before and after pictures of teeth reshaping
https://harleystreetsmileclinic.co.uk/cosmetic-dentistry/teeth-reshaping/
Step 3: Tooth Reshaping
Once the specifics are determined, the dentist uses a small disc to gently and carefully remove some tooth enamel during reshaping. This makes small adjustments to the surface and edges of the tooth, giving you the desired shape and size.
Finer adjustments are completed with abrasive strips or a small file. Constant measurements are taken throughout the procedure to ensure that everything is proceeding as planned.
In addition to removing some of the tooth surface, tooth reshaping can also involve the adjustment of the gap between the tooth being contoured and adjacent teeth to enable proper brushing and flossing.
Step 4: Building up a tooth through bonding
The dentist may also add tooth-colored resin to build up a particular tooth surface that is chipped for proper alignment. The laminate is the same color as your tooth, and is bonded with dental adhesive. Bonding can also be used to reshape a tooth to fill large gaps between teeth. This procedure may result in an additional 30 – 60 minutes for the entire procedure.
Teeth trimming side effects
Since reshaping your tooth involves trimming some of the tooth enamel, there may be some side effects, such as sensitivity to cold or heat, if too much enamel is removed.
Other side effects of teeth trimming include:
- Increased risk of tooth irritation, sensitivity, and nerve inflammation
- Increased risk of tooth decay – due to reduced protective enamel cover
- Increased risk of tooth wear for people who grind their teeth at night
Tooth reshaping cost
This procedure involves making subtle changes to your tooth or teeth to improve your smile. Depending on the amount of work involved, you can part with as little as $50 or as much as $300 per tooth. The cost is also influenced by the local rates and reputation of your dentist or dental practice.
If the procedure involves both reshaping and bonding, it may cost you an extra $300 to $600 per tooth depending on the same factors discussed above.
Since Tooth reshaping and contouring is considered as a cosmetic dental procedure, your dental insurance may not cover the procedure. But they might cover the procedure if it is necessary to restore the normal function of your mouth following an accident.
Is Tooth reshaping right for me?
Tooth reshaping is an inexpensive way to enhance the look of your teeth and improve your smiles. It is also:
- Painless
- Doesn’t require anesthesia or numbing
- Involves no healing process – offering immediate benefits
- A great substitute for braces to correct crooked or misaligned front teeth
- A low-cost treatment to improve dental health by removing imperfections where plaque can accumulate – leading to decay and gum disease.
The ideal candidate should have healthy tooth structure, with no cases of decay, pulp infection, or unhealthy gums. If you believe that tooth reshaping or dental contouring can help to improve your smile, consult your dentist to see if you are a suitable candidate.
