Do you have one tooth that stands out from the rest -- and not in a good way? Whether that tooth is small, large, or otherwise misshapen there are a few cosmetic dentistry treatments that can help. The final result will make you feel more confident and might even serve a practical purpose like correcting a bite problem.

Here are a few of the common ways a cosmetic dentist, such as Sunshine Dentistry, reshapes a tooth.

Dental Crown

A dental crown can offer subtle reshaping of a tooth that's only slightly misshapen. The dentist will create a custom-fit, tooth-colored shell that will fit over the exterior of the tooth. A bonding agent is used to attach the crown firmly to the natural tooth.

Metal-fused porcelain crowns are a popular choice for full coverage because the porcelain is tooth-colored and natural looking while the metal backing provides strength. This type of crown is most versatile in its placement in the mouth than some other types, such as an all-porcelain crowns, which are too vulnerable for placement on a molar. The bite force of the molars tend to cause stress fractures and fissures which shorten the life of porcelain crowns.

Bonding

Bonding is the process by which an application is attached to the tooth -- and bonding is also an application type. The application bonding is handy when your tooth requires moderate reshaping that can't be covered by a crown.

Your cosmetic dentist will prepare a tooth-colored solution that is painted onto the misshapen tooth and then hardened using a special light. This paint-on method means the dentist has the control to custom craft the bonding material around each side of the tooth and into hard to access nooks and crannies.

Enameloplasty and Veneers

During an enameloplasty, the cosmetic dentist shaves down the protective enamel layer of the tooth. Removing this layer is often necessary to perform a thorough reshaping. But loss of enamel leaves the tooth vulnerable and sensitive so an enameloplasty is only the start of a shaping procedure.

The rough edges left behind following an enameloplasty offer the perfect bonding ground for a reshaping application such as a veneer.

Bonding can't cover significant shape issues that might require a severe enameloplasty. If your dentist needs to shave down a large percentage of the tooth in order to create the new shape, you will likely have to go with veneers.

Veneers work similarly to crowns in that the custom-fit shells are crafted by the dentist. But the veneers snap around a small sliver of natural tooth to create an entirely new exterior with whatever shape is needed to make that tooth match the others.