Unfortunately, not all of us are born with picture perfect teeth, and we require a little help getting there. Whether you are looking to further improve the appearance of your teeth after orthodontics, or for an easy way to even out misshapen teeth, tooth reshaping may be a solution.

WHAT IS TOOTH RESHAPING?

Tooth reshaping/tooth contouring is a technique used in cosmetic dentistry to alter the length, shape, or surface of your tooth to improve its overall appearance.

Tooth reshaping is often used in combination with tooth bonding. This is a procedure involving the use of tooth coloured material to build up your tooth or to fill in the gaps between teeth.

HOW IS TOOTH RESHAPING DONE AT BRISBANE SMILE BOUTIQUE?

First, your dentist may need an x-ray of your teeth to assess the thickness of the enamel and dentine and pinpoint the exact location of the nerve of your tooth.

If the outer layer of your tooth (enamel) is too thin or the pulp is too close to the tooth’s surface, your dentist will not recommend reshaping but will suggest other treatment options, such as porcelain veneers to strengthen the remaining tooth structure.

If your dentist determines that you are a suitable candidate, a small amount of your tooth’s enamel will be removed, using either a drill or a reshaping disc. Your tooth will be reshaped according to your desired specifications and then polished to smooth out any jagged edges and to add a natural looking shine.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TOOTH RESHAPING AND TOOTH BONDING?

Tooth reshaping involves the minimal removal of some of your tooth’s enamel, whereas tooth bonding involves the addition of tooth coloured composite resin to your teeth in order to alter their size, shape or colour, and to fill in gaps. Tooth Bonding does not require major changes to be made to the actual structure of the tooth and is best used to fill in slight gaps between teeth and/or to change the shape of the tooth.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TOOTH RESHAPING?

Advantages of tooth reshaping:

1. The entire procedure is often a relatively short appointment and offers great results

2. Tooth reshaping is usually painless because there are no nerves in the outer layer of your teeth.

3. Once the tooth reshaping has been done, the results are long term

4. Tooth reshaping takes a single appointment;

5. Tooth reshaping may create the appearance of straighter teeth and may rectify minor overlapping;

6. Tooth reshaping is less expensive than tooth bonding and porcelain veneers

Disadvantages of tooth reshaping

1. Tooth reshaping can only be used to correct very minor cosmetic issues because only a limited amount of enamel can be removed from your teeth;

2. Reshaping is not the perfect solution for overly crooked or misshapen teeth