Tooth Recontouring Offers Fast Aesthetic Results
When creating a beautiful smile, one of Dr. Yazdan’s goals is to establish proper symmetry from one side of the mouth to the other. But occasionally, one or two teeth may have asymmetrical properties or uneven edges that cause them to stand out from their neighbors. Tooth recontouring is a fast, pain-free, and immediate solution.
Sometimes it’s the most discreet, subtle changes in our teeth that make the biggest difference in our smile’s appearance. And that’s exactly where tooth contouring comes into play.
What is Tooth Recontouring?
Tooth recontouring is a conservative treatment where Dr. Yazdan uses a small instrument to gently buff away a thin layer of enamel. It thins or reduces the tooth structure at that location, making it shorter or smoother, depending on your needs.
Unlike getting a dental filling or veneer, tooth recontouring does not usually require any numbing medication. Since only the outermost layer of enamel is involved, this is a minimally-invasive procedure. However, if you have extreme tooth hypersensitivity, Dr. Yazdan can anesthetize your tooth if need be.
Recontouring a tooth only takes a few moments. Normally, you’re in and out the door in well under an hour because of how efficient the process is. You’ll likely spend more time talking with our team and admiring the results than the process actually takes.
Dr. Yazdan may want to recontour a tooth for specific issues, or when placing other cosmetic restorations for better overall smile symmetry.
When to Have a Tooth Recontoured
Again, when we’re establishing healthy and attractive symmetry in your smile, specific teeth may stand out more than others. Particularly if the edges of the enamel are rough, chipped, bumpy-looking, or longer than their neighbors.
If it’s safe to reduce the length of enamel in that space, we can slightly buff away a thin layer of the tooth to make the overall structure more symmetrical with neighboring teeth.
Since recontouring is minimally invasive, it’s worth considering over more complex aesthetic procedures. Especially if only minor issues like uneven enamel are a concern. Technically speaking, recontouring is more conservative than having dental veneers or crowns placed over the tooth, even though we are buffing away specific areas.
Dr. Yazdan may recommend tooth recontouring if you have:
- Only one or two teeth causing a concern
- Uneven tooth edges that stand out
- Asymmetrical tooth shapes across your smile
- Slightly chipped enamel that does not require bonding
- Rough enamel that irritates your lips, cheeks, or tongue
- More prominent teeth than others
- New restorations on adjacent teeth, and the tooth needs to blend in with them
Tooth Recontouring vs. Dental Bonding
Most of the time when we discuss adjusting the shape of a tooth on the same day, it involves cosmetic bonding. But bonding and recontouring are almost complete opposites from one another.
Bonding uses tooth-colored composite materials to cover and re-build tooth surfaces where there are aesthetic discrepancies. Such as pitted enamel, staining, and small chips in teeth. It builds the tooth up, so to speak, or covers over specific issues. Dr. Yazdan selects matching composite material to blend in with the tooth and shapes it by hand over the area of concern.
In contrast, tooth recontouring does the opposite: it reduces the thickness and shape of enamel in those spaces. By smoothing out uneven edges, we can reshape the tooth to help it look more even with its neighbors. No additional materials (such as composite) are needed.
Both bonding and recontouring are one-visit procedures and can usually be performed without any numbing medication.
It’s also worth noting that you can bleach a recontoured tooth, but you cannot bleach a bonded tooth without replacing the bonding to match the whiter enamel color. Bonding does not whiten along with the tooth.
Same Day Results
There are a few cosmetic techniques available that offer immediate, same-day results. Examples include composite bonding, in-office bleaching, and in this case, tooth recontouring.
Even better, there’s no downtime or recovery process needed after having a tooth recontoured. The moment you look in the mirror after Dr. Yazdan has completed the process, you’ll see an entirely different tooth.
When you want to make subtle yet significant enhancements to your teeth, tooth recontouring often goes overlooked. But the effectiveness of the process is something that can have a tremendous impact on your smile in just one day.
Newport Beach Cosmetic Dentistry
Dr. Yazdan is one of Newport Beach’s most experienced and skilled cosmetic dentists. At The Center For Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry, we truly believe in a tailored care approach that enhances a person’s natural oral health and attractiveness. If tooth recontouring is right for you or you want to explore other options, we will be more than happy to help!
Contact us today to reserve your smile assessment with Dr. Yazdan.
About Dr. Yazdan
