Patients with small chips, bulges or pits in a tooth’s enamel, and irregular tooth shape can now solve these minor imperfections with the most conservative cosmetic treatment – teeth recontouring or reshaping.

Also known as odontoplasty, tooth reshaping is a quick and painless procedure that is effective in improving the tooth’s appearance and the overall dental health. The procedure involves the removal of small amounts of the tooth enamel to alter a tooth’s length, shape, or surface.

The patient will undergo an initial exam before the primary procedure. Your dentist will check the size and location of the tooth’s pulp via an X-ray examination. Recontouring may not be conducted if the enamel layer is too thin or if the pulp lies too close to the tooth’s surface.

During the procedure, your dentist will use a sanding disc or a diamond bur to remove a bit of the tooth’s enamel. A sandpaper may also be utilized to reach the imperfections situated between teeth and to shape and smooth the sides. Your dentist will then polish the tooth to finish the process. An anesthetic is not usually needed in tooth reshaping since it does not affect the tooth’s pulp.

Careful consideration must be made before undergoing the procedure since enamel is irreplaceable. Tooth recontouring or reshaping may thin the enamel and expose the dentin layer, leading to tooth sensitivity to heat, cold and sweets.