Painlessly Pretty Up Your Smile: Why Cosmetic Dentistry Is So Comfortable

Almost everyone has a flaw in their smile that they would like to fix, and cosmetic dentistry offers a range of treatments that can whiten, brighten, reshape, and straighten a patient’s teeth. However, many patients may be hesitant to commit to cosmetic dentistry due to anxiety about how much these treatments might hurt. Here’s a brief guide to a few common cosmetic dental procedures and how your dentist can keep you comfortable when receiving them.

Get a Gorgeous Grin the Noninvasive Way

Cosmetic dentistry includes several treatments that are so noninvasive that patients rarely need any form of anesthesia before receiving them. A few of these include:

• Cosmetic dental bonding: Your dentist can address chips, cracks, gaps, and stains using a small amount of tooth-colored composite resin in minutes during a routine dental appointment. This treatment can protect teeth from further damage, conceal defects, and rebuild damaged tooth structure.
• Teeth whitening: Many people live with unsightly dental stains due to years of exposure to dark foods and beverages or tobacco smoke. Thankfully, professional teeth whitening treatments can painlessly lift stubborn stains in about an hour with an in-office procedure or over two weeks with a take-home kit.

Local Anesthetics Keep Procedures Painless

Porcelain veneers and metal-free dental crowns can restore damaged teeth and conceal defects like cracks, chips, stains, gaps, and misshapenness. While placing these appliances requires the alteration of existing tooth structure, your dentist will only do this after administering a suitable anesthetic treatment to ensure that you feel no pain during the procedure.

While you can expect a mild recovery period involving some soreness or sensitivity afterward, this will only be temporary and can be managed with excellent oral hygiene, taking pain relievers when needed, and sticking to a soft and mild diet for a few days. A few excellent foods for your recovery period include white fish, mashed potatoes, yogurt, and bananas.

What if I’m a Little Extra Nervous?

Many people deal with dental anxiety or phobias that make it difficult for them to receive necessary or elective dental procedures. Thankfully, dental sedation can help a nervous patient remain still, calm, and relaxed in their dentist’s treatment chair. A few of these treatments include:

• Nitrous oxide, also called “laughing gas,” can raise the pain threshold and induce a sense of well-being without any lingering side effects or recovery period, meaning that patients are typically able to drive themselves home after the treatment.
• Oral conscious sedation can help a patient with moderate or severe anxiety remain calm and relaxed during dental treatment. You’ll be prescribed a sedative to be taken immediately before your appointment, and you should start feeling its effects by the time the procedure begins. However, you will need a trusted individual to drive you home afterward.

Cosmetic dentistry is an effective and comfortable way to achieve a more beautiful smile. Consulting with your dentist can help you determine if any of these treatments can be a good fit for  you.

About the Author

Dr. Neelima Ravi earned her dental degree at the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine and has completed many workshops at Spear Education. She has also earned her Fellowship with the Academy of General Dentistry and serves as a Spear faculty member. Her office in Hampton offers general, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dentistry. To schedule your cosmetic dental consultation, contact her office online or dial (603) 926-1551.