With recent growth in the fields of orthodontics and family dentistry, the difference between a general dentist and a cosmetic dentist has become a little blurred. While many family dentists are beginning to include aspects from both practices into their services, a dentist trained in general dentistry as opposed to cosmetic dentistry will probably have some different answers on how to handle a particular dental incident.

Keeping this in mind, let’s take a look at what a cosmetic dentist does and how they might address certain dental concerns.

The goal of a cosmetic dentist is, of course, cosmetic. A cosmetic dentist is more concerned with making your smile look beautiful and healthy rather than improving function or fighting disease and performing root canals. This does not discredit the work of a cosmetic dentist, though. A cosmetic dentist is highly trained and specializes in restorative procedures, such as dental implants and teeth whitening. If you’ve chipped your tooth, visiting a cosmetic dentist would be necessary; however, in terms of oral health there is little that they do.

Imagine you’ve lost a tooth. The tooth is a premolar so you haven't lost the ability to chew, but the gap where your tooth used to be is quite visible. A general dentist’s first concern would be that there is no pressing issue at hand, as function remains; infection has been properly protected against, and so on. Restorative procedures would be considered elective, rather than mandatory. A cosmetic dentist’s first inclination, however, would be to offer a dental implant to replace the lost tooth, thereby restoring a beautiful smile to the patient.

Regardless of your dental needs, the most effective family dentists will combine aspects of both general and cosmetic dentistry to better serve their patients. While an emphasis on healthy teeth and gums is certainly essential for a dentist, one who is trained in both practices will make sure that not only is your smile a healthy one, it’s also beautiful one.

At your next visit, don’t forget to talk to your family dentist about these issues. Find out what cosmetic dental procedures they have available. If they don’t offer cosmetic procedures, ask if they could recommend a colleague who specializes in cosmetic dentistry. Asking these questions will help you regain a wholeness to your smile that is impossible to reach if you ignore function or beauty entirely.