You might have gone your entire life without a cavity, but sometimes having pristine oral health doesn’t necessarily mean that your smile looks exactly how you want it to. Chips, cracks, and misalignment can all bring down your self-confidence and make you feel less than stellar.
Luckily, there are ways to improve the appearance of your smile and take it to brand new heights, including a simple procedure known as an enameloplasty. Here is everything you need to know about this procedure, as well as how you can afford it with or without insurance.
Enameloplasty is a procedure in which small amounts of the outer layer of your teeth (enamel) are scraped away to help change the appearance of your teeth. It can affect the tooth’s length, shape, and surface textures, making it a perfect procedure for people with slight imperfections that just need a little bit of extra care.
Enameloplasty is also known by other names, such as tooth recontouring, tooth reshaping, tooth shaving, and odontoplasty. The treatment is typically performed on the front teeth, as the procedure only seeks to help with cosmetic imperfections.
This procedure is quick and painless since your enamel doesn’t have any nerves. On your first visit, your dentist will discuss treatment options with you and see if enameloplasty is the best bet. Then, they’ll use an X-ray to evaluate the size and location of the pulp in each tooth to make sure there is enough bone between the enamel.
Once it’s decided that you move forward, you likely won’t need any sedation or numbing.
To reshape and contour your teeth, a dentist will use a drill or laser to gently remove tooth enamel, trimming misshapen areas or shortening excessively long areas to even out a proper bite and alignment. Most of the time, the entire procedure takes no more than one single 30-minute session.
Sometimes, dental bonding will co-occur with recontouring to fill in gaps and crevices. Bonding involves using a resin that attaches to the teeth and hardens, restoring both the structure and function of your teeth.
First, the dentist will etch the surface of your teeth with a tool that makes it easier for the resin to adhere. Then, they’ll apply the bonding material to your teeth. Then, they’ll use a light to harden the substance and make it adhere to your teeth. It is a painless process, though you might feel some sensitivity when the tooth is scraped before placement.
There is no recovery period or downtime after getting this procedure, meaning that you can return to your normal habits immediately after the procedure. If you get dental bonding, you might need to avoid hard foods for a day or two, but your dentist will let you know what you can and can’t do once your procedure has concluded.
After the procedure is complete, you’ll need to take some care in making sure that your teeth retain their attractive appearance. This includes routine oral hygiene like brushing your teeth, flossing, and using mouthwash regularly. Additionally, you want to avoid substances that can affect your oral health or stain your teeth, like smoking, red wine, coffee, and tea.
Enameloplasty is a cosmetic procedure, meaning that you’d only be getting it to improve the appearance of your smile as a whole. Enameloplasty is great for people with tiny chips, cracks, and other abnormalities that are bothering them but don’t require extensive treatment.
This procedure has benefits over most other cosmetic orthodontic procedures because of its relative cost as well as the ease with which the procedure can be performed. There’s no recovery period, making it an excellent alternative for braces in some cases.
People without enough enamel in the first place cannot get enameloplasty since it requires at least part of this tooth layer to be removed. If this is the case, dentists will likely offer you other options.
As with any oral procedure, there are some risks associated with enameloplasty. The main downside of this procedure is that you lose some of the protective layers of your teeth, the enamel. Your enamel never grows back, and enamel loss can lead to increased sensitivity to hot and cold as well as discoloration of the teeth.
With that said, most people who undergo this procedure end up leading happy, healthy lives, and they are very happy with the results.
There are many reasons why someone might want to get this procedure done, even though it is only used for cosmetic reasons. Your smile can give you newfound confidence if you feel comfortable in how it looks and feels, and enameloplasty can make you feel like the best version of yourself.
It’s also a lot quicker and more convenient than other cosmetic procedures like dental bonding or veneers. It takes less than 30 minutes in most cases, there is no recovery period, and you can usually get this done right in a dentist’s office without needing to see a specialist.
Finally, enameloplasty is far more cost-effective in comparison to other cosmetic treatments.
One of the benefits of this procedure is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to many other types of cosmetic treatments. On average, tooth recontouring can cost anywhere from $50 to $300 per tooth, depending on factors.
It’s a good thing it’s relatively cheap because insurance will not cover the cost of this procedure since it is cosmetic. Dental insurance plans will usually only cover treatments that are used to treat or prevent oral health diseases. Since crooked teeth or a slightly chipped tooth won’t affect your well-being, you’ll be stuck paying out of pocket.
Enameloplasty is a fantastic choice for minor imperfections that need a boost. But if you need a little bit more assistance getting your teeth to the perfect point, there are other options that might work for heavy-duty circumstances.
Veneers are like little shields that go over the front of your teeth to improve their appearance by concealing cracks, chips, and discoloration. Veneers are made of different materials with varying levels of durability.
Veneers are a great option to correct more major cracks and chips while restoring your teeth to their natural, pearly-white appearance. Before veneers are placed, the enamel is scraped off of your teeth. This helps the veneers attach to the tooth better, making some of this process similar to an enameloplasty.
Bonding is sometimes used in conjunction with enameloplasty, but in some cases, it can be done on its own. With dental bonding, the dentist will get a composite resin that closely matches the color of your natural teeth. Then, they’ll roughen the tooth to make it easier for the bond to adhere.
From there, the resin is molded and smoothed to the desired shape before being applied to your teeth to cover up chips and cracks. The material is then hardened with a special light before the dentist polishes the tooth to give it a natural-looking shine.
Dental bonding only takes around 30 to 60 minutes per tooth to complete.
Braces and invisible aligners are some of the most common treatments for correcting misshapen or misaligned teeth. Braces gently pull your teeth into the desired position over time through metal wires that are tightened over time. Invisible aligners work similarly, though these are plastic molds that are switched out over time to gradually bring your teeth into the right positions.
Braces and aligners are great for moderate to severe malocclusion, but you might be able to use enameloplasty to correct minor alignment issues by scraping away parts of a tooth that appear to be aligned improperly.
Enameloplasty is a procedure that is used to fix small chips, cracks, and other imperfections. Dentists will scrap away parts of your enamel, the outer layer of teeth, to help you achieve a more desirable smile and appearance overall.
Enameloplasty is much less intrusive than other cosmetic surgeries as it only takes about 30 minutes to complete, and there is no recovery period. This also makes it a more cost-effective solution in comparison to alternatives like veneers or braces.
Without insurance, enameloplasty can cost anywhere from $50 to $300 per tooth, and since it’s a cosmetic treatment, most insurers will not cover the cost. But that doesn’t mean you need to go without care.
Sources:
Dental x-rays | University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Dental veneers: Cost, procedure, and results | Medical News Today
