What Can Your Dentist Do If You Think Your Front Teeth Are Too Small?

When you smile at yourself in the mirror, do you get the overwhelming feeling that your front teeth are just too small? Does this make you feel uncomfortable in your own skin? The good news is that you don't have to go on living with your too-small front teeth. There are a few methods a cosmetic dentist may employ to make your front teeth look larger.

Gum Reshaping

If the problem is that your front teeth look too short, it may be that you have excessive gum tissue growing over them. There is a procedure called gum reshaping that your dentist can use to essentially "peel back" your gums and reveal a greater portion of your front teeth.

Your dentist will evaluate your teeth with a naked eye and through x-rays to determine if you do have excessive gum tissue and if you are a candidate for this procedure. If you elect to have gum reshaping performed, the area will be numbed with local anesthesia, and then a laser or scalpel will be used to remove the excess gum tissue. A few stitches may be put into place, and though you'll have to stick to soft foods for a few days, you should heal up pretty easily and be able to enjoy the look of larger front teeth.

Dental Bonding

If you teeth are actually too small and gum tissue is not the problem, your dentist may recommend a procedure called dental bonding. Dental bonding involves attaching a tooth-colored composite resin to the bottoms of your teeth to make them appear larger. This is a simple, painless procedure that's similar to getting a filling. Your dentist will place a special mold around your tooth, and then he or she will add a composite resin solution to the mold. Once the resin hardens, the mold will be removed and your dentist will shape the composite with a file.

Veneers

Dental bonding can only be used to make teeth a little larger. If your teeth are quite small and you want to make them substantially larger, your dentist may recommend veneers. These are thin sheets of porcelain that cover your entire tooth -- and when you want to make your teeth look larger, they extend past the bottom of your tooth. Veneers must be put into place over the span of several appointments. First, your dentist will take a mold of your mouth and send it to the lab to have your veneers custom-designed. Then, at another appointment, a thin layer of enamel will be removed from your tooth's surface and the veneers attached with a special dental cement.

For more information, contact Associated Dental Center, LLC or a similar location.