Dentistry is no longer just a case of filling and taking out teeth. Many people turn to cosmetic dentistry, or ‘aesthetic dentistry', as a way of improving their appearance. They do this in the same way they might use cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic treatments include veneers, crowns, bridges, tooth-coloured fillings, implants and tooth whitening.

In most cases, the natural colour of teeth is within a range of light greyish-yellow shades. Teeth naturally darken with age and their appearance can be affected by the accumulation of surface stains acquired from the use of tobacco products and the consumption of certain foods or drinks.

A dental prophylaxis is performed not only to clean the teeth, but also to evaluate the oral cavity for any other problems that might be present. The cleaning not only includes what you can see, but also the area under the gumline, which is the most important part. For this reason, “Non-anesthetic” cleaning is not a viable option.

Gums protect and support your pearly whites and the tissue that holds them to the bone. When your gums aren’t healthy, you risk losing those teeth -- and damaging your overall health.

Pediatric dentistry (used to be called Pedodontics) primarily focuses on children from birth through adolescence. The American Dental Association (ADA), recognizes pediatric dentistry as a specialty, and therefore requires dentists to undertake two or three years of additional training after completing a general dentistry degree.

Root canal treatment is the removal of the tooth’s pulp, a small, thread-like tissue in the center of the tooth. Once the damaged, diseased or dead pulp is removed, the remaining space is cleaned, shaped and filled.

What is orthodontic treatment? Orthodontic treatment is a way of straightening or moving teeth, to improve the appearance of the teeth and how they work. It can also help to look after the long-term health of your teeth, gums and jaw joints, by spreading the biting pressure over all your teeth.

Both crowns and most bridges are fixed prosthetic devices. Unlike removable devices such as dentures, which you can take out and clean daily, crowns and bridges are cemented onto existing teeth or implants, and can only be removed by a dentist.

Dentures are removable appliances that can replace missing teeth and help restore your smile. If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether from gum disease, tooth decay or injury, replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. That’s because dentures make it easier to eat and speak better than you could without teeth—things that people often take for granted.

Full mouth reconstruction typically involves general or restorative dentists (performing procedures like crowns, bridges and veneers), and can incorporate dental specialists like periodontists (specializing in the gums), oral surgeons, orthodontists (specializing in tooth movements and positions) and endodontists (specializing in the tooth pulp).

Forty years ago, using a laser in dentistry sounded like something straight out of Star Trek. But Dr. McCoy isn’t the only one using lasers anymore. More and more laser dentists now use lasers in dentistry treatments such as the removal of tooth decay, root canals and teeth whitening.

These come in varying levels of transparency so you have ceramic brace that can take on the natural color of the teeth or are thoroughly translucent to be called clear ceramic braces and they do not stain. Three popular brands of ceramic braces include Mystique made by GAC along with Clarity and Transcend made by 3M Unitek. Most adults prefer ceramic braces because they blend in with the color of the teeth and are cosmetically less noticeable than metal.