Barbara Walters, Linda Gray, Nancy Kissinger, Diana Ross, Carol Burnett and Cher have all worn braces as adults – they are among the increasing number of Americans to take advantage of the advances in cosmetic dentistry.
Invisible braces are only one of the new techniques in beautifying teeth and smiles. Others include bonding, laminate veneers, contouring and bleaching. Not all dentists are experienced in the new techniques, so it is wise to pick one who combines skill with a good aesthetic sense. Don’t hesitate to get three or four consultations.
For dingy, misshapen or badly aligned teeth, expensive crowns were once the only answer. A new alternative is bonding, in which the tooth surfaces are etched with mild acid and coated with layers of tooth-colored plastic to mask stains, fill in chips and cracks, close small gaps and re-sculpt the shape of the teeth. It requires meticulous care and a lot of artistic ability.
Bonding costs less than crowns, but it must be repaired more often and can cause gum disease if it isn’t done properly. Bonding technology is changing so rapidly that even top specialists disagree on its use. The American Dental Association recognizes bonding only for health reasons, but its Council on Dental Materials, Instruments and Equipment calls it “a practical intermediate approach to aesthetic modification of discolored or disfigured teeth”.
For care and maintenance of teeth, dentists advise patients to: 1. Limit consumption of tea, coffee, red wine, soy sauce, grape juice, blueberries, cherries and tobacco; 2. Cut up tough foods instead of biting into them, have teeth cleaned three or four times a year; 3. Refrain from biting fingernails or pick at teeth; 4. Wear a bite guard at night if you grind your teeth, and closely monitor gum health;
Laminate veneers are a variation on bonding thin, tooth-shaped shells applied to etched teeth somewhat like the way fake fingernails are attached.
Even newer are porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers may be the wave of the future said pioneering cosmetic dentist Dr Irwm Smigel founder of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics. “I think they will eventually replace bonding altogether. In the four years we’ve been using porcelain laminates, we have yet to see one chip. They still look as good as they did when we put them on.”
Laminate veneers are more expensive than bonding, but cheaper than crowns, which cost from $350 to $1,200 per tooth. To get teeth whiter, the simplest way may be to bleach them. Properly done it does not harm the teeth and is not usually painful for adults, although it is not recommended for children.
Bleaching costs can head upwards to more than $3000 per teeth for treating 10 teeth, for example. Another technique is cosmetic contouring, in which a skilled dentist uses a rotary instrument to file down or sculpt away fangs, snaggleteeth, small fractures and chips. Crowded teeth can often be contoured to give the impression of straightness and worn-away teeth reshaped for a more youthful smile.
All this might be outdated in the future by tooth cloning, said Dr. Mark Friedman, assistant clinical professor of restorative dentistry at the University of Southern California. Instead of painting on composite resin, dentists might be painting on little cells that will grow new Enamel. That sounds fantastic, but cloning enamel is exactly what they’re doing in the laboratory at the University of Southern California right now.