The Difference between Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry

Smile enhancement (better known as cosmetic dentistry) is a great way to provide a person with a positive change to their teeth and overall appearance. However, before any cosmetic procedures can be done, restorative dentistry is often needed. Although cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry often overlap, your Boise dentist at Summit Dental would like to differentiate these two dental practices.

Restorative Dentistry

Restorative dentistry refers to dental procedures that are needed to fix structural damage in order to maintain a healthy, functional mouth. With restorative dentistry, your Boise dentist is most concerned about keeping your mouth as healthy, and functional as possible.

Restorative procedures often include the use of dentures, crowns, fillings, or dental implants. This type of dentistry does not include any type of specialization. Instead, its main discipline is to prevent and correct structural problems associated with functionality and the overall health of your mouth.

Oral Health Issues Associated with Restorative Dentistry

There are a variety of oral health issues that a patient can develop which is why your Boise dentist works so hard when it comes to prevention. Many common issues include broken or missing teeth and cavities. Restorative procedures to correct these problems often include fillings, crowns and bridges, dental implants, and dentures.

Boise Cosmetic Dentistry

While restorative dentistry’s main concern is to keep your mouth healthy and functional, cosmetic dentistry is a discipline that seeks to attain optimal smile-enhancing results. A cosmetic dentist is a highly trained individual that specializes in correcting alignment, size, and position of discolored, chipped, misshapen, or missing teeth. Overall, cosmetic dentistry is a practice that assists in the aesthetic enhancement of a person’s smile.

People often have different dental issues they want to be corrected for a variety of reasons. Often they seek to improve the appearance of chipped, uneven, or yellowing teeth. Below are a few cosmetic dentistry procedures that can help improve the overall look of your smile:

• Teeth whitening
• Porcelain veneers
• Porcelain crowns
• Porcelain bridgework
• Composite bonding
• Dental implants
• Teeth straightening
• Tooth-colored filling
• Aligners

At Summit Dental, we offer both restorative and cosmetic treatment options. We want to provide you with a smile that looks and feels as healthy as possible. If you have broken, decayed or damaged teeth, contact us by filling out our online form or call us at (208) 314-2275 today. Our Boise dentists will more than happy to answer any questions you may have when it comes to improving the overall health and look of your smile.