A Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentist and Procedures That Can Help You

For this Los Angeles cosmetic dentist office, the majority of our focus is the aesthetics of your teeth. This means we are going to do everything we can to ensure that you have the brightest, most beautiful smile you could possibly have. This does not mean that we do not also have a hand in ensuring that your teeth are extremely healthy. We know that the more healthy your teeth, and the more functional, the better they will look. Since, however, our focus is largely on their appearance, we have honed a number of different procedures that have become very well known to the general public.

 If you have an aesthetic challenge that needs fixing, coming to a cosmetic dentist is your best option. Some of the most common procedures we do are replacing lost teeth with devices like dental implants, bridges, and dental crowns. We also do teeth whitening, install dental veneers, contour or reshape your teeth, and straighten teeth with the help of braces. All of these are bread and butter procedures for us. We also do a number of procedures, as a cosmetic dentist, that are not so widely known. The two describe in this blog actually find their roots in solving a medical problem with the gums, for which they are still used. Since these procedures also have an aesthetic application, they are now performed largely by cosmetic dentists.

As a cosmetic dentist, we perform a procedure known as a gingivectomy. Often times this procedure is done to prevent further damage to the gums from periodontitis or other gum diseases. When you have a disease that affects you in this way, your gums become separate from the teeth. This creates a deep pocket under the gum. These deep pockets are potential breeding grounds for all kinds of infections since they are hard to clean and are perfect hiding spots for plaque. From our point of view, these pockets create an unsightly appearance and can eventually lead to tooth loss which is why we also perform this surgery. The surgery itself is actually very simple, and only requires a few days to recover unless there is extensive work to be done. Under a local anesthesia, we will remove the excess and loose gum tissue with a scalpel or a laser. Once all the needed gum tissue has been removed, we will place putty over the gum line, which will give it a chance to heal completely. At the same time, we will work to ensure that the contour of your gums, which frequently changes during this process, remains symmetrical and pleasing to view.

Gum reshaping is a procedure done during a gingivectomy and can also be done as a separate procedure. Known as tissue sculpting this procedure is done when people have gums that are either too long or too short which creates an unattractive look to the teeth. Often people who have gum recession will want their gums lengthened using reshaping. The procedure is done under local anesthetic, using either laser, radiosurgery or traditional scalpels in our dentist office. To learn more about procedures that can improve your gum health and appearance, schedule a consultation with our dental office.