Enamel shaping is a minor cosmetic procedure to alter the size, shape, or surface of the teeth. It is also known as Dental contouring, enameloplasty, odontoplasty, recontouring, reshaping, slenderizing, and stripping.
Enamel shaping removes parts of the contouring enamel to improve the appearance of the tooth and can fix a range of dental issues including chipped, cracked, or crooked teeth. The removed enamel is irreplaceable. Tooth contouring is limited to minor aesthetics since removing too much enamel can cause the teeth to become weak. Patients with a thin enamel layer may not be good candidates for this procedure. Very often enamel shaping along with bonding helps in achieving excellent results.
Benefits of Tooth Reshaping
- Repair minor biting issues with a single sitting Enamel shaping.
- No recovery or downtime is needed after tooth contouring and reshaping.
- Reshaped teeth look natural, healthy and beautiful.
- Reshaped teeth are easy to clean by brush and floss.
- Improved oral hygiene - Lower the risk of tooth decay and gum disease from tartar and plaque buildup.
Enamel shaping Procedure
The procedure involves several steps prior to the actual reshaping. An initial exam will be necessary to determine if the patient is an ideal candidate. An X-Ray is conducted of the tooth or teeth in question to determine the extent of the pulp and the proximity of the pulp to the gums. If the teeth are healthy enough and fit the criteria, our dentist will schedule the treatment.
A small part of the teeth is chipped with a sanding disc or diamond-edged tool or a laser beam, slowly when the desired shape is achieved, smoothen out the teeth with special grade sandpaper and finally polish the tooth. The entire procedure can be completed without the need for anesthetics. This is because the process does not affect the pulp inside the tooth and there are no underlying blood vessels or nerves hence there is no or very limited pain. Teeth may become temporarily sensitive to hot and cold substances after contouring and reshaping. Tooth contouring and reshaping can take as little as 30 minutes depending on the amount of work needed.
The procedure of tooth bonding often combines with reshaping to fill the gaps and chips between teeth, improves the shape, and adds colour to the tooth. The procedure involves the application of natural teeth coloured resin which will adhere to the teeth and get hardened. After the resin application light is applied to get it hardened. The whole procedure will take 30 min to 60 min.
Post-treatment guidelines
If the reshaping procedure is not combined with bonding or veneer placement, no post-treatment guidelines need to be followed. However, if it is done in combination with bonding, patients must avoid chewing hard food items or putting too much pressure on the teeth. If the pressure is put on the teeth, it may chip, and further reshaping may be required in the future.
Patients can maintain the results by brushing at least twice a day, flossing daily, and maintaining regular dental checkups. Some beverages such as coffee, tea, and red wine contain resin. These may stain the teeth and should be avoided. The individuals may avoid biting fingernails, sucking candies, chewing gums, biting pens, and opening the containers using teeth.
Cost of Enamel shaping
The dental contouring procedure is done on a per tooth basis. So, the greater the number of teeth needing reshaping, the larger will be the cost associated with the procedure. So, for a single tooth, the cost may be anywhere between Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 5,000.
