WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COSMETIC DENTISTRY AND GENERAL DENTISTRY?

The dentist is a necessary part of taking care of your health. That being said, there are a few differences between cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry. Knowing the difference between cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry can help you determine what type of dentistry you need.

WHAT IS GENERAL DENTISTRY?

General dentistry is both preventative measures like dental cleanings as well as restorative measures that affect the overall function of teeth and the mouth. This means things like crowns, root canals, fillings, tooth extraction and some dental surgery. General dentistry can also be preventative measures like sealing baby teeth, scaling tarter and plaque, and other preventative measures to keep the teeth and mouth healthy.

General dentistry is any dentistry that is necessary to improve the health of the mouth or the function of the teeth. Your mouth is a complex system that must be maintained properly with the help of your dentist and dental health team. If you have cavities, an issue with tooth rot, teeth that need to be cleaned, or a bite that is not properly aligned, your dentist may use general dentistry to correct the teeth and to make your mouth healthy. General dentistry is essentially any dentistry that is used to help improve or correct the function and health of the teeth. General dentistry may also be things like emergent care and corrections if your tooth is abscessed for instance or if you are having tooth pain.

WHAT IS COSMETIC DENTISTRY?

Cosmetic dentistry is any dentistry that is used to improve the look of teeth rather than their health or function. This is procedures like caps, veneers, implants and whitening. These procedures are not considered necessary per se for the teeth to function properly but rather are necessary for the teeth to look better. Cosmetic dentistry may also be things like getting rid of teeth gaps and more.

Cosmetic dentistry may or may not be fully covered with your dental insurance. It is important that if you are having cosmetic dentistry that you take the time to find a great dentist that is going to be able to do it well and that is going to be able to get your teeth looking great and feeling great as well. Cosmetic dentistry may not be deemed necessary by your insurance but in some cases, cosmetic and general dentistry intersect.

INTERSECTION OF COSMETIC DENTISTRY AND GENERAL DENTISTRY

There are some cases in which cosmetic and general dentistry intersect and one is braces. In some cases braces are used for both cosmetic reasons and for reasons of correcting teeth so that they are more comfortable and work better. Implants can also be considered both cosmetic and general dentistry if you are missing teeth and need them to be replaced to help repair your bite and make your smile better as well.

In some cases, your dentist may be able to bill your cosmetic procedures as general dentistry if they serve a dual purpose. If you are looking for both general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry services, Biltmore Commons Dental Care can help you to get the care you want and need. Their highly trained team can help you get a smile that looks great and works even better.