Did you know that almost 60% of the population thinks that a good smile attracts the opposite sex? And almost 100% of Americans believe that having a beautiful smile is important socially, so it would stand to reason that having nice, pearly whites would get you some attention. And because of that, many people have cosmetic dental work done to make sure that they have a “nice smile”. The definition of a cosmetic dental procedure is any dental work that you have done solely to benefit the look of your gums or teeth. And, cosmetic dental work is becoming more and more popular with Americans the more that we think it is important.

In 2006 there were about 600,000 people in the U.S. that had gotten veneers, which are basically thin caps for your teeth that are made of white material to make your teeth look white. The most common is the porcelain veneer, but there are other materials they can be made from as well depending on your budget and your planned use of them.

However, besides veneers and teeth whitening, another very common form of cosmetic dentistry is actually getting dental implants, believe it or not. Some implants, like all on 4 dental implants or one day dental implants, are covered by insurance if it is for a health reason, such as needing a molar replaced. But many people have them put in cosmetically, rather than because they need them for functionality, such as after particularly bad root canal treatments.

An implant consists of three parts, which are a titanium rod, a cover for the rod, and something similar to a crown to replace the tooth. The rod is inserted in to the bone socket of the missing tooth, and the bone is meant to heal around it, which anchors it securely into your jaw. A lot of the time after people get root canal treatments, they will need a crown, but the idea of the canal is to save the tooth, so an implant wouldn’t be needed. However, if root canal treatments won’t save your mouth and you need to have the tooth removed, never fear. A dental implant can last the rest of your life, as long as you take care of it properly. Get more info here.