Right before entering into the 1980s, the American

A faculty member at a medical college in Georgia and book author approximates that almost half of the $32 billion revenue the industry has annually is generated by the cosmetic aspect of dentistry. When placed side by side to what cosmetic work made five years ago, cosmetic work has increased three times, according to the president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. This increase is a result of the better materials available now.

Most apparent among them are the porcelain laminates, thin porcelain veneers that are placed over existing teeth and bonded into position. To avoid breaking it, the clients should not bite their nails or nibble on spareribs. The laminates are durable and almost unseen, and this is so even with minimal care. For dental practitioners who average 10 treatments a month of procedures using porcelain laminates, they have revenue of up to $250,000 a year.

Bleaching is another cosmetic dental treatment that has started to become popular in America today and it is a chemical based treatment that whitens teeth at a cost of 100 to 200 dollars each treatment. Majority of the customers availing of this are the entertainers and politicians. The private individuals patronize this also, particularly the men. Men now comprise 40 percent of cosmetic clients, which is a 20 percent leap from a few years ago.

Dentists have been using porcelain for a long time but the bonding technique to existing teeth, veneers, was just recently further polished. This year, American manufacturers will sell more than 300,000 porcelain laminates for about $20 million. Even if they have a reliable material in porcelain right now, dental cosmeticians continue to search for the next best bond. One dentist utilizes ceramic particles in a sealing wax to create caps and bridges. It is first molded in the mouth and then the caps are baked in an oven for seven minutes. Expect to come up with caps that are twice as strong as porcelain laminates, yet the price is half price lower.

As long as the specially designed oven which costs $1000 is available in the premises, the dentist can do bake bonding right there. Just as one of the dentists is baking, one dentist from New York has devised a patented silk bonding procedure that is three times stronger than the currently circulating bond, according to him. Unlike the regular bonding, however, it is 25 percent more expensive. An ADA official acceded the claim of increased strength after baking the mixture, but the difference is not that notable.

There is one more technique which actually eliminates the need for bonding in certain instances. Currently, they are just applying hydrogen peroxide to whiten them. Though dentists are not seeing any ill effects, oftentimes discoloration that has been whitened will reappear through time. A dilemma shared by most cosmetic dentists is that patients have the difficulty seeing the result of the cosmetic procedures and they return to the dentist's office for uncertain reasons.

A faculty member at a Southern California university has embedded a computer system in his office that allows clients to visualize their expected smile appearance after the cosmetic work. A video camera is part of the system as well as an electronic pen and writing pad, which ale all connected to a computer with a color screen. The purpose of the camera is to capture the pre procedure smile which eventually will be displayed on the color monitor. The cosmetic changes expected such as whitening teeth, closing gaps or smoothing uneven edges may be illustrated with the use of the electronic pad and pen.

Most individuals are amazed to see their teeth in a zoomed in view. And they are thrilled to see what a seemingly unnoticeable change can do in terms of enhancing their appearance.