At first glance, cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry may seem similar. After all, both types of dentistry involve improving your teeth and your smile, right? Well, that’s not quite the case.
These dental specialties are actually quite different from one another. How? That’s a great question, and in this blog from Country Day Dental, we’ll explain how cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry differ, and why this distinction matters.
Cosmetic Dentistry Focuses Exclusively On Aesthetics
As the name suggests, cosmetic dentistry is exclusively focused on the appearance of your teeth, and is not concerned with improving or restoring your oral health. Instead, cosmetic dentistry involves using a wide variety of dental procedures to cover up flaws and imperfections with your smile.
This may involve things like teeth whitening to reverse tooth stains and discoloration, dental bonding to correct small chips in the smile, or veneers to replace and cover up misshapen or uneven teeth. The proper treatments depend on your smile and your personal preferences.
The result is a beautiful smile that makes you feel proud of your appearance. The primary goal of cosmetic care is to improve your self-confidence, and to eliminate insecurities and feelings of embarrassment related to aesthetic flaws in your smile.
Restorative Care Focuses On Both Oral Health And Aesthetics
Again, as the name suggests, restorative care focuses on “restoring” your oral health. While it is concerned with aesthetics, this is more of a secondary concern. The treatments used in restorative dentistry are, first and foremost, designed to protect your oral health.
Consider a dental crown, for example. Porcelain dental crowns look and feel very natural, and covering up a damaged tooth with a crown will also restore its shape and appearance. But that’s not the main purpose of a crown. The actual purpose is to cover up the damaged enamel and protect it from further damage and deterioration.
This is why restorative dentistry and cosmetic care seem similar, but are very different. Restorative treatments are used to treat damaged and missing teeth. And while procedures like dental implant surgery, root canals, crowns, and other restorative treatments can result in a more beautiful smile, that’s only the secondary focus.
Restorative Dentistry And Cosmetic Dentistry Are Often Used Together
While restorative dentistry and cosmetic dentistry are different, they are not mutually exclusive. In fact, many patients with serious oral health issues and flaws with their smile can get both types of treatment.
For example, a person with two missing teeth, stains, and a few uneven teeth may need to get treatment with two dental implants to restore their missing teeth. This is a restorative treatment. Then, they can get teeth whitening to restore the color of their other teeth, and invest in porcelain veneers to cover up their uneven teeth.
The result is a smile that’s both healthy and bright. And at Country Day Dental, Dr. Schmidgall specializes in smile makeovers that involve both cosmetic and restorative treatments, and he is standing by to provide you with the care you need.
Get The Smile You Deserve In Fort Worth At Country Day Dental
Whether you have cosmetic problems with your smile, oral health challenges, or a combination of both, Dr. Schmidgall is here to help. We offer comprehensive dentistry at our office in Fort Worth, and our team can help you restore both the natural appearance and function of your smile. Contact us online or give us a call at 817-731-9487 to schedule an appointment now.
