What’s the Difference between Cosmetic and General Dentistry?
General dentistry and cosmetic dentistry are frequently used terms within the dental field. While they share the common goal of enhancing oral health, dental functionality, and overall aesthetics, they differ in their focal points and the specific procedures they encompass.
Here’s the difference between the two:
1. Goals
- General Dentistry
This area of dentistry is focused on disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of common dental issues such as cavities, gum diseases, and infections.
General dentistry focuses on maintaining good oral health and restoring damaged teeth.
- Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry focuses on the enhancement of your teeth’s appearance and smile. The procedures are performed to address issues like teeth discolouration, misalignment, and other dental issues that affect your smile’s appearance.
2. Procedures Involved
- General Dentistry
The treatment involved in this area are regular dental check-up and clean, dental fillings, root canal treatment, tooth extraction, gum disease treatment, fabrication of dental crowns, bridges, and dentures.
Most of the treatments in this area are needed by the patient for better dental function and quality of life.
- Cosmetic Dentistry
These procedures are usually an elective for better teeth aesthetics. This includes teeth whitening, dental veneers, dental implants, and orthodontic treatment.
Cosmetic dentists specialise in treatments that improve the colour, shape, alignment, and overall appearance of teeth. They are trained to use techniques in enhancing the appearance of one’s smile.
3. Health and Aesthetics
- General Dentistry
This field of Dentistry is concerned with both the health and aesthetics of the oral cavity, while preventing dental problems to maintain one’s overall well-being.
- Cosmetic Dentistry
Although cosmetic dentistry can enhance an individual’s self-confidence and self-esteem through smile enhancement, its procedures primarily focus on aesthetics and might not necessarily target underlying oral health issues.
Cosmetique Dental have dentists who are highly skilled in general and cosmetic dentistry procedures. It’s important to note that these two branches of dentistry can often overlap, and a comprehensive approach to dental care involves a combination of both cosmetic and general dental treatments.
