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Healthy Beauty How to Have a Beautiful Smile

Brought to you by: Listering Whitening

This content is selected and controlled by WebMD's editorial staff and is brought to you by LISTERINE^® WHITENING^®.

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Beautiful Smile
How Revealing Is Your Smile? Find out what your smile says about your personality.
You're on Camera: Smile! 6 simple ways to make your smile shine for the camera.
Lip Care and Cosmetics What you need to know for beautiful, healthy lips.
Can You Erase Deep Lines? What to do about deep "marionette lines" around your mouth.
What Stains Your Teeth? Find out how to protect your teeth while enjoying foods and drinks that stain.
Pros & Cons of DIY Teeth Whitening For whiter teeth, should you do it yourself or see a dentist?
Braces? At Your Age? Your guide to adult braces: Cost, effectiveness, and how long it takes.
Are White Fillings Worth the Cost? Find out when white fillings really are better than silver or gold.
All About Enamel Shaping Enamel shaping can be an affordable way to correct minor tooth flaws.
Bad Breath Causes and Cures Get fresh-breath tips to smell sweeter every day.

The Truth About Enamel Shaping

WebMD Feature

By Peter Jaret

Reviewed By Alfred D. Wyatt Jr., DMD

Is the surface of one of your teeth a little uneven? Do you have a small chip? Does a rough spot on the inside of a tooth irritate your tongue? If so, a quick, inexpensive procedure called enamel shaping may be a great solution.

"Enamel shaping is used when a tooth needs very fine adjustments -- when the surface is a little rough, for instance, or one tooth is a little squarer than a matching tooth," says Kellee Kattleman Stanton, DDS, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

smiling woman

How Enamel Shaping Is Done

To reshape enamel, dentists use the same kind of tools used to polish teeth during a routine cleaning. The goal is to remove a very small amount of enamel from the surface to create a smoother look. Enamel shaping is typically done without an anesthetic.

The opposite of enamel reshaping is bonding. This is when a small amount of tooth-colored resin material is added to fill holes or small gaps in teeth. After bonding, dentists use a polishing tool to smooth out the surface. Together, enamel shaping and bonding offer quick and easy ways to improve your smile.

Reviewed by Alfred D. Wyatt Jr., DMD on May 11, 2012

Healthy Is Beautiful

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Content under this heading is from or created on behalf of the named sponsor. This content is not subject to the WebMD Editorial Policy and is not reviewed by the WebMD Editorial department for accuracy, objectivity or balance.