For Your Teeth

On This Page Tooth Contouring and Re-Shaping Tooth Whitening Return to the Cosmetic Surgery Special Section Tooth Contouring and Re-Shaping Your dentist can eliminate those shallow pits or grooves in tooth enamel, worn edges or small chips in your front teeth by tooth contouring and re-shaping. How it?s done Using a polishing instrument, your dentist removes small amounts of enamel to contour the tooth. Recovery It?s a relatively inexpensive, painless and quick procedure. Complications Too much tooth enamel could be removed but this is rare. Cost $600 to $1,000 per session. Return to the Cosmetic Surgery Special Section Return to the List of Cosmetic Surgery Procedures For Your Teeth Tooth Whitening Age, smoking, staining foods and beverages all contribute towards your teeth losing their shine and whiteness. Bonding and porcelain veneers will restore and perhaps even enhance the appearance of your teeth, but whitening is the easiest, least invasive and most affordable of the procedures available; it is also effective in 75 per cent of all patients. How it?s done Your dentist will likely offer you the choice between a home program or in-office procedure. Bleaching gel?activated by light, laser or not?is applied to the teeth until the degree of whiteness desired is achieved. Recovery 1 to 2 days. Complications Increased tooth sensitivity and tenderness in the tongue and gums but these effects shouldn?t last long. Over-bleaching can also occur. Cost At home: $350 to $800; Laser: $1,000 to $1,500 Return to the Cosmetic Surgery Special Section Return to the List of Cosmetic Surgery Procedures For Your Teeth