Enameloplasty is a cosmetic dental treatment. Dentists use this treatment to remove tiny amounts of enamel from a tooth that has minor cosmetic problems.
When might you use this treatment?
You Have a Long Tooth
Teeth don't always come through at the same levels. For example, some people have one or more teeth that are slightly longer than their neighbors.
This makes your smile look uneven; the longer tooth looks more prominent. It can also affect your bite and ability to eat.
Here, your dentist can remove some of the enamel from the bottom of the tooth to reduce its size. They make it fit in with its neighboring teeth so that your smile looks more even.
You Have a Chip
The edges of teeth can fracture and chip. If you eat something hard and it catches the tooth in the wrong way, then you might lose a chip off the tooth. This chip is hard to hide on a front tooth.
If the chip is small, then your dentist might be able to shave it down to make the tooth look even. They'll also get rid of any rough edges so that the area becomes smooth again.
You Have Rough Spots on Your Teeth
While teeth are usually smooth, some have a rough texture on them. This can make them look pitted; it can affect their shine.
Sometimes, a tooth comes through like this; other times, you might be left with rough surface damage after wearing braces. In either case, rough spots can ultimately damage the tooth as well as affect the way it looks. It's easier for bacteria to get hold of a pitted surface.
Your dentist can contour the tooth's enamel to shave down rough spots, pits, and grooves. The tooth will then look even and smooth and is less likely to get damaged in the future.
You Have a Minor Misalignment
While braces work well to fix significant alignment problems, they aren't a suitable solution for minor problems. For example, if you have one tooth that ever so slightly overlaps another, then the problem might not be big enough to warrant wearing braces.
Here, your dentist can shave down the overlapping tooth. They remove the parts of the tooth that don't sit in its socket area. This also helps you keep your teeth cleaner and healthier. It's hard to take care of parts of your mouth where teeth overlap.
To find out if enameloplasty is the right treatment for your problem, talk to a cosmetic dentist.