Today's common cosmetic dental treatment options include:

1. Teeth Whitening or "tooth bleaching", is the most common cosmetic dental procedure. As a person ages the adult teeth often become darker due to changes in the  mineral structure of the tooth, as the enamel becomes less porous..The procedure to bleach teeth uses oxidizing agents to lighten the shade of the tooth.

2. Bonding - is a process in which an enamel-like dental composite material is applied to a tooth's surface, sculpted into shape, hardened and then polished.Dental bonding can correct a tooth gap, can cover spots, chips, and discolorations, can repair fractures, and can re-shape teeth. Tooth bonding requires artistic ability on the part of the cosmetic dentist, since the work is done freehand with no outside help. Colors must be matched and blended, the tooth must be sculpted, finished, and polished to a beautiful result

3. Gum Reshaping - is a cosmetic dental procedure that raises and sculpts the gum line. The procedure involves reshaping the tissue and/or underlying bones to create the appearance of longer or more symmetrical teeth. People who have a “gummy” smile are afflicted by an appearance that has too little teeth and too much gums. A procedure called crown lengthening is performed to reshape gums and bone tissue. This is done to expose more of the teeth underneath.

In some cases, dentists perform crown lengthening as part of more complex procedure that entails bridge and crown work. For example, a tooth may need to be “lengthened” to make bridge or crown procedure more effective.

4.Dental Implants - A dental implant is an artificial tooth root replacement and is used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth. Almost all dental implants in use today are made from titanium or titanium alloy, materials that have been shown over many years to be well tolerated by bone. There are several types of dental implants. The major classifications are divided into osseointegrated implant and the fibrointegrated implant.There are many different implant systems available and when competently used they can all deliver a highly reliable form of treatment.

There are 2 common types of implant used today:

1. Endosteal (in the bone): This is the most commonly used type of implant. The various types include screws, cylinders or blades surgically placed into the jawbone. Each implant holds one or more prosthetic teeth. This type of implant is generally used as an alternative for patients with bridges or removable dentures.
2. Subperiosteal (on the bone): These are placed on top of the jaw, with the metal framework's posts protruding through the gum to hold the prosthesis. These types of implants are used for patients who are unable to wear dentures and who have minimal bone height . 

Teeth whitening is just one of the most common dental treatments offered by a New York City cosmetic dentist. Find out about others like veneers and dental implants as well.