Jagged Edges of Teeth

I am about to get my braces off. I’ve noticed that the edges of my teeth are a bit jagged. Is this something the orthodontist will fix or will I need to go to a cosmetic dentist?

Gina

Dear Gina,

Much of that will depend on whether or not all you are dealing with is some minor jagged edges, or if there are other issues involved. In most cases, it is just a matter of smoothing out some jagged edges on teeth. In that case a procedure known as cosmetic contouring or enameloplasty.

This procedure is a matter of reshaping the front teeth. It should only be the enamel and once the shaping is done the teeth should be polished. For minor reshaping, most orthodontists will do this as a matter of finishing up the treatment.

If it is more involved, I would make sure that a highly skilled cosmetic dentist handled the procedure. Reshaping the teeth, when not done properly can throw off your bite.

In some cases, which are even more demanding, it might be necessary to do dental bonding on the teeth to give the patient the best, most aesthetic smile possible. In the case example in the image above, in addition to reshaping the teeth, composite bonding needed to be bonded onto the sides of the teeth. Very few dentists can handle this.

I would look for a dentist with advanced cosmetic dentistry credentials.

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