• Cosmetic dentistry is generally used to refer to any dental work that improves the appearance (though not necessarily the function) of a person's teeth, gums and/or bite. Many dentists refer to themselves as "cosmetic dentists" regardless of their specific education, specialty, training, and experience in this field.

Cosmetic dentistry may involve:

• The addition of a dental material to teeth or gums - examples: bonding, porcelain veneers (laminates), crowns (caps), gum grafts
• The removal of tooth structure or gums - examples: enameloplasty, gingivectomy
• Neither adding nor removing dental materials, tooth structure, or gums - examples: teeth whitening (bleaching), gum depigmentation
• Straightening of teeth accompanied by improvement in appearance of face - Orthodontics

• Whitening, or "tooth bleaching", is the most common cosmetic dental procedure. While many whitening options are now available, including over the counter products, dentist-supervised treatments remain the recommended procedures for lightening discolored teeth.

• Tooth reshaping removes parts of the enamel to improve the appearance of the tooth. It may be used to correct a small chip, or to alter the length, shape or position of teeth; it can be used to correct crooked or excessively long teeth. The removed enamel is irreplaceable, and may sometimes expose dentin. It is also known as enameloplasty, odontoplasty, contouring, recontouring, slenderizing, stripping or sculpting. This procedure offers fast results and can even be a substitute for braces under certain circumstances.