Canine teeth or eyeteeth are quite prominent when you smile. So if your canine teeth are very pointy or misshapen in some way, it can affect your confidence when you smile. Fortunately, it is possible to change the shape of your canine teeth—with the help of your dentist.

If you aren't happy with the shape of your canines, your dentist can help you change their shape in one of the following ways.

1. Recontouring

You can change the shape of your pointy canines by having your dentist remove the points from them. Dentists call this process recontouring or odontoplasty. During the process, a dentist changes the shape of a tooth by using an abrasive such as a diamond bur or a sanding disc to remove a tiny amount of enamel from the surface of a tooth.

Your dentist can remove the points from your canines and give them a softer, rounder appearance. This procedure only takes one dental visit.  

2. Porcelain Veneers

Unlike recontouring, which reshapes by removing enamel, this technique reshapes teeth by adding a porcelain shell to them. Before the procedure, you and your dentist can discuss the shape that you would like your canine teeth to be. Your dentist will then take an impression of your teeth and send the impression to a ceramist, who will then fashion your porcelain veneers.

You will need to wait two weeks for the veneers to be fashioned. But before the dentist places your veneers, they will need to remove a small amount of enamel from your canine teeth. This is to ensure that the bond between your veneers and teeth is strong, and so that your teeth don't look bulky after the veneers are placed.

3. Composite Bonding

This is another technique that can be completed in one dental appointment. This is a good treatment to have if you don't want to lose any enamel as the composite bonding material is placed onto your tooth and then shaped into the desired form. Later, if you need to replace the material, your dentist will simply remove it and add some new bonding material without removing enamel.

You don't have to live with your canine teeth as they are if you aren't happy with them. Talk to your dentist about the aforementioned treatments. With their guidance, you can choose the treatment that will work best for your teeth and your current oral health situation.

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