Annually, Americans spend billions of dollars on dental care; some of that money is applied towards dental treatments promoting dental health and the rest is funneled towards cosmetic dentistry. There are countless dental treatments specifically targeting the appearance of teeth including options such as tooth whitening, dental veneers and a variety of ways to replace missing teeth. However some cosmetic dentistry procedures are a bit to trendy for their own good.

As the world populations expands, more people have been struggling to stand out in a massive crowd. That has resulted in an uptick body modifications such as tattooing and body piercing.  Tongue piercing (once a ritualistic act) is the second most popular form of flesh perforation while other dental treatments such as tooth tattooing and dental grills have also become commonplace, but they are not the only cosmetic dentistry trends out there. While each dental modification can certainly make a person look different, they can also compromise dental health and 1-800-DENTIST wants to let patients no of the potential risks.

Mind the Gap

Diastema is a dental condition marked by a separation or gap in between the two front teeth. While some individuals choose to wear dental braces to fix the condition sporting the less than perfect teeth has become popular in image based industries such as fashion and acting. As a result, more average folks are opting to pay for cosmetic treatments to either widen existing gaps or to manually create them from scratch and that can cause dental problems down the line.

The Wall Street Journal, reported that fashion designer David Delfin started the artificial diastema trend. Delfin first paid for cosmetic dentistry to artificially force a gap in his front teeth as a symbolic gesture honoring the death of his father  (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703720004575478213601248720.html). That lead to the artist entitling is 2009 collection “Diastema.” Eventually that look trickled down throughout the industry and imperfect smiles were in demand for the high-fashion models working at the 2011 New York Fashion Week event.

Since the media influences the style choices of the average Jane and Joe, more regular folks are opting for the look. Sadly forcing the process can cause dental problems such as preventing proper jaw growth and development.

Extreme Tooth Shaping

In America, Vampire Chic is all the rage thanks to a hot entertainment trend. Typically the elongated canine teeth associated with the undead are used to reign terror or to display sexual innuendo. Dentists can implement a number of strategies to implement extreme tooth shaping for a variety of looks, but that can eventually contribute to dental problems down the line.

The process of manually altering the shape of teeth requires filing. Filing can weaken tooth structure, result in the removal of too much tooth enamel, that can result in tooth sensitivity. Plus, if the person matures and wants to restore the teeth, the cost may be prohibitive.

Un-Gumming a Smile

Gum grafting is a type of dental surgery that can be implemented to  restore gums that have receded over time. The procedure will not only  improve dental health, but eliminate the appearance of hyper elongation  that may occur over time. Crown lengthening, a process that involves the removal of excess gum to make teeth longer, is the opposite of gum grafting and as a result may contribute to dental problems.

There was a period of time when crown lengthening was a type of oral surgery to treat gum disease. Now, the procedure is being implemented as a type of cosmetic dentistry as a way to make a smile look less gummy and teeth look bigger. While oral surgery can indeed improve a way a smile looks, it is still an invasive procedure with risks. In this case swelling, pain, bleeding and infection are all risks associated with the crown lengthening procedure.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and regardless of what natural teeth look like, oral hygiene is the best way to boost both appearance and dental health. Prior to opting for any cosmetic dentistry individuals are encouraged to brush teeth twice a day, floss daily, eat nutritious food, exercise and see a dentist regularly for check ups, exams and preventative dental care. Exceptional dental health can help teeth look their best and provide a platform that will allow cosmetic dentistry to take.

Prior to opting into any cosmetic dentistry procedure, individuals need to find a dentist that can improve dental health and have successfully implement dental treatments in the past.