Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAre You a Good Candidate?What to ExpectBenefitsPotential RisksAftercareFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Are You a Good Candidate?
What to Expect
Benefits
Potential Risks
Aftercare
Frequently Asked Questions
Tooth contouring, also known as tooth reshaping,enameloplasty, orodontoplasty, is acosmetic dental procedurethat fixes minor issues with your smile. It involves removing small portions of tooth enamel to correct chipped, cracked, or crooked teeth or improve their appearance. This work, performed using specialized instruments or removable strips, is generally painless and well-tolerated.
Verywell / Jiaqi Zhou
Are You a Good Candidate for Dental Contouring?
Generally speaking, dental or tooth contouring is an elective cosmetic procedure. This treatment is not appropriate for all patients and all cases. The conditions best treated with this procedure are:
Significant dental issues or damage can’t be treated with tooth contouring or may require treatments alongside it. In those cases,dental crowns,orthodontics,veneers, bonding,bridges, or other approaches are considered.
Underlying tooth health is also a factor;cavities, loose teeth, or other issues can contraindicate tooth reshaping.
Reshaping Canine Teeth
What to Expect at the Procedure
While tooth reshaping isn’t appropriate for every case, there are a number of key benefits to having this work done. These include:
As with any dental procedure—and despite your dentist’s best efforts—there are some potential risks to tooth reshaping. The enamel layer is very thin—only about 2.6 millimeters—so dentists have to be very careful; problems can arise if too much is taken off.
Tooth contouring may cause:
Don’t Try This at HomeGiven the potential for damage to your teeth, tooth contouring isn’t something you should try at home. Not only is a great deal of special training needed, it’s especially dangerous to perform this work on your own mouth. In doing so, you risk damaging your own teeth.
Don’t Try This at Home
Given the potential for damage to your teeth, tooth contouring isn’t something you should try at home. Not only is a great deal of special training needed, it’s especially dangerous to perform this work on your own mouth. In doing so, you risk damaging your own teeth.
Unlike many other cosmetic dental treatments, no special steps are needed when recovering from tooth reshaping. It’ll be important, however, to keep up with the basics of dental hygiene:
You should also call your dentist if your teeth feel rough afterward. This may be a sign of plaque or tartar build-up, or another issue with the procedure.
Summary
Tooth contouring, also known as odontoplasty or enameloplasty, is a cosmetic procedure that aims to reshape your teeth to correct the appearance of your smile. While there are limitations to what it can do, this treatment can shorten overlong incisors, fix minor chips and cracks and pits in tooth enamel, and make your teeth more symmetrical.
While this is a painless, well-tolerated procedure, there are a couple of risks. Risks include temporary tooth sensitivity, increased risk of tooth decay or damage, or yellowing of the teeth.
While no specific steps are needed for aftercare, you should still monitor dental health, brush twice a day, floss daily, and get regular dental care.
A Word From Verywell
While it’s easy to dismiss work like tooth contouring as merely “cosmetic,” it’s important to remember the many benefits of having an even, attractive set of teeth. It can be stigmatizing and difficult to feel unattractive or to feel you have to hide your teeth. With effective intervention and the help of a good dentist, however, you may find your confidence restored. And that’s something worth smiling about.
Since teeth contouring involves physically filing down and reshaping your teeth, it is permanent work. As such, the decision to go ahead with this treatment should be a very careful one. You and your dentist will need to weigh the potential impact of tooth contouring as it’s irreversible.Learn MoreEnameloplasty: Procedure, Side Effects, and Recovery
Since teeth contouring involves physically filing down and reshaping your teeth, it is permanent work. As such, the decision to go ahead with this treatment should be a very careful one. You and your dentist will need to weigh the potential impact of tooth contouring as it’s irreversible.
Learn MoreEnameloplasty: Procedure, Side Effects, and Recovery
The enamel of your teeth that gets filed and reshaped during tooth contouring doesn’t have any nerves in it. Therefore, you won’t feel pain during the procedure. Generally, no anesthetic is needed, though patients who are concerned about discomfort can request it.Learn MoreThe Importance of Tooth Enamel
The enamel of your teeth that gets filed and reshaped during tooth contouring doesn’t have any nerves in it. Therefore, you won’t feel pain during the procedure. Generally, no anesthetic is needed, though patients who are concerned about discomfort can request it.
Learn MoreThe Importance of Tooth Enamel
Learn MoreWhere Can You Get Free or Low-Cost Dental Work?
While contouring has some risks, since it’s a minimally invasive procedure it poses little actual risk to your teeth. That said, there’s little room for error with this work; the outer, enamel layer of your teeth is very thin, and problems can arise if too much is taken off. Those who’ve had tooth reshaping are at an increased risk of tooth sensitivity, tooth decay, or tooth cracking.Learn MoreThe Most Common Dental Problems
While contouring has some risks, since it’s a minimally invasive procedure it poses little actual risk to your teeth. That said, there’s little room for error with this work; the outer, enamel layer of your teeth is very thin, and problems can arise if too much is taken off. Those who’ve had tooth reshaping are at an increased risk of tooth sensitivity, tooth decay, or tooth cracking.
Learn MoreThe Most Common Dental Problems
Learn MoreBest Dental Insurance
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Al-Ghanim D, Al-Salat G, Al-Shaikh R.The role of cosmetic dentistry in restoring a youthful appearance in Saudi population: an overview.World J Pharm Res. 2018;7(10):249-258. doi:10.20959/wjpr201810-12312Napitu A, Hong J.Teeth filing: smile makeover with tooth contouring. Dentaly.American Cosmetic Dentistry.What is teeth contouring.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Al-Ghanim D, Al-Salat G, Al-Shaikh R.The role of cosmetic dentistry in restoring a youthful appearance in Saudi population: an overview.World J Pharm Res. 2018;7(10):249-258. doi:10.20959/wjpr201810-12312Napitu A, Hong J.Teeth filing: smile makeover with tooth contouring. Dentaly.American Cosmetic Dentistry.What is teeth contouring.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Al-Ghanim D, Al-Salat G, Al-Shaikh R.The role of cosmetic dentistry in restoring a youthful appearance in Saudi population: an overview.World J Pharm Res. 2018;7(10):249-258. doi:10.20959/wjpr201810-12312Napitu A, Hong J.Teeth filing: smile makeover with tooth contouring. Dentaly.American Cosmetic Dentistry.What is teeth contouring.
Al-Ghanim D, Al-Salat G, Al-Shaikh R.The role of cosmetic dentistry in restoring a youthful appearance in Saudi population: an overview.World J Pharm Res. 2018;7(10):249-258. doi:10.20959/wjpr201810-12312
Napitu A, Hong J.Teeth filing: smile makeover with tooth contouring. Dentaly.
American Cosmetic Dentistry.What is teeth contouring.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
