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Q: What is contouring?
A: Contouring is a process in which your dentist sculpts a tooth's
enamel, for either a cosmetic or functional purpose. If the purpose
of the contouring is cosmetic, simply to improve the look of your
smile, it's called aesthetic contouring. A common application of
aesthetic contouring is on the canines—eye teeth—when
they may appear too long. Rounding their edges can make them look
more proportional to the teeth around them. A common functional
purpose would be to improve a patient's bite, shaving off enough
enamel to allow teeth to meet as they should when chewing and eating.
That process is called occlusal equilibration, meaning "making
the bite even."
Whichever the goal, contouring, or sculpting, is a painless procedure
and causes no halm to the tooth. And while the amount of enamel removed
is minuscule, the results, in terms of either appearance or function,
can be dramatic. In some cases, contouring can be a considerably
cheaper alternative to orthodontic work. Talk with your dentist about
contouring and about other forms of cosmetic dentistry that may be
right for you.
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