How can I come up with a sustainable comprehensive treatment plan for my cosmetic dental issues?

Cosmetic Dentistry is a field of dentistry dedicated to the appearance of your smile, however great attention should be paid to the functional aspects of your teeth and particularly the way they "come together" or occlude. This extra attention to function will improve the sustainability of your new dazzling smile. Before embarking on your cosmetic journey you should consult with a proficient dentist to determine if there are any issues with decay, malocclusion, and/or para-functional patterns such as grinding or bruxism. This information can only be obtained through a comprehensive oral evaluation of your teeth, smile, and soft tissues, including a full mouth series of our premium quality high definition digital xrays. In this initial appointment your Charleston, South Carolina dentist will point out any functional issues and/or cavities that will need to be addressed prior to beginning cosmetic treatment.

Many patients are very eager to complete their cosmetic makeover; many are so eager that they wish to put other more-pressing dental issues on the back burner. This could be a very costly mistake! Not only could cavities or other issues become bigger in time, resulting in more costly and time consuming procedures such as root canal therapy and crowns, but the cosmetic work that has been so meticulously undertaken can be at risk without addressing the entire mouth. For example - if you had no back teeth and were thus biting only on your front teeth it would be a horrible idea to cosmetically alter the front teeth until the back teeth have been replaced. Not only would your new dazzling white front teeth be at risk for moving (ie: flaring out, spreading apart) but teeth could even start breaking down due to the excessive forces on those teeth. I would strongly encourage a patient in this situation to at the very least include a method of replacing the back teeth in his/her treatment plan before building a perfect smile that is unsustainable.



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