Cosmetic dentistry vs general dentistry: The difference explained

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry?

Broadly speaking, general dentistry is focused on caring for your overall oral health, while cosmetic dentistry is about improving the appearance of your teeth, gums and bite. A general dentist tends to be the primary dental care provider for patients of all ages, and is responsible for diagnosing, treating and coordinating services to meet your oral health needs. You might see a general dentist if you have gum disease, toothache, need a filling or an extraction, or for your routine check-ups. If you visit someone who is solely a general dentist, they may need to refer you to a cosmetic dentist or someone with more specialised experience for cosmetic treatments such as teeth straightening or dental implants.
As cosmetic dentistry is concerned with the appearance of your teeth and smile, you will find that cosmetic dentists offer services such as tooth whitening, white fillings, veneers, teeth straightening (orthodontics), dental implants and smile makeovers. In other words, cosmetic dentists can reshape your teeth, close gaps, correct crowding, replace missing teeth, or help you brighten your smile. Although addressing these issues will improve the aesthetics of your smile, whenever possible a cosmetic dentist will consider how to improve the function of your teeth too.
If you are currently an NHS patient at another practice, you will find that you can typically only access general dentistry services through the NHS and that cosmetic dentistry must be accessed through a private practice.

The best of both worlds at Roseacre Cottage Dental

In practice, many dental practices offer both general and cosmetic dentistry services. Here at Roseacre Cottage Dental, for example, we support our cosmetic dentistry with treatments designed to prevent or correct oral health problems, so that you are dentally fit at all times. This means that you can see us for your routine dental care and hygienist visits, as well as for more complex treatments, such as braces or teeth whitening.
As a practice that provides cosmetic dentistry in Kent, we feel it is important to be able to offer you a strong choice of services and the most up-to-date treatment methods and equipment. It is often the case that, to create the most healthy and beautiful looking smile we can for you, we will need to use a combination of treatments. Every person is different and our scope of services means that we can be as flexible and proactive as possible about giving you an entirely individual treatment plan.
It’s important to know too that, as with general dentistry, dentists providing cosmetic dentistry services in the UK must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC).

To find out more about cosmetic dentistry in Kent at Roseacre Cottage Dental, call us on 01622 730 548.