What is aesthetic dentistry?
Aesthetic dentistry is dental treatment that improves the appearance of the teeth, gums and smile, such as whitening, bonding, veneers, gum contouring and orthodontic alignment, while keeping the teeth healthy and the bite working. It is essentially the same field as cosmetic dentistry; "aesthetic" is the term many dentists prefer because it stresses natural results and function. At Creative Arts in Dubai, aesthetic treatment starts with a health check and a previewed design.
Who treats you here Dr. Khalid Saeed Co-founder & Dentist · Dr. Kinan Bonni Dentist · Dr. Somar Dahdal General Dentist
Every dentist’s licence can be checked on the DHA Sheryan medical directory.
What does aesthetic dentistry actually mean?
Aesthetics is the study of what people perceive as pleasing. In dentistry it means designing and changing the colour, shape, size, position and proportion of the teeth and the frame of gum around them, so the smile looks balanced in the face it belongs to. An aesthetic dentist works with the same materials and techniques as any restorative dentist; the difference is how much of the planning is driven by appearance, and how carefully that appearance is previewed before anything changes.
Good aesthetic dentistry has two non-negotiable foundations. The first is health: decay, gum inflammation and bite problems are treated before cosmetic work, because ceramic or composite placed on an unhealthy mouth does not last. The second is function: front teeth guide how the jaw moves, so making them longer, wider or straighter changes the bite as well as the smile. A result that looks good on the day but chips, inflames the gums or strains the jaw is not a good aesthetic result.
Aesthetic dentistry vs cosmetic dentistry: is there a difference?
For patients, the two terms describe the same treatments. The differences are in emphasis and in how the words are used.
| Aesthetic dentistry | Cosmetic dentistry | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Treatment of the appearance of teeth, gums and smile | The same treatments |
| Who uses the term | Often dentists and academic societies | Most patients and most clinic websites |
| Emphasis | Natural appearance, facial proportion and function together | The visible change, often elective |
| Is it a specialty? | Not a separate specialty in most dental systems | Not a separate specialty in most dental systems |
| Who provides it | General dentists with further training, and specialists in related fields | The same |
"Aesthetic clinic" can also mean a clinic for skin and injectable treatments, which is a different medical field from dentistry.
Which treatments count as aesthetic dentistry?
Any treatment whose main purpose is to change how the smile looks can be called aesthetic, from the most conservative to the most involved. A useful way to think about them is by what they change and how much tooth they cost:
- Colour: professional cleaning to remove surface stain, then teeth whitening in the clinic or with custom home trays. No tooth structure is removed.
- Small chips, gaps and edges: composite bonding, resin shaped directly onto the tooth, usually with little or no drilling.
- Shape, colour and proportion together: porcelain veneers, thin ceramic shells bonded to the front of the teeth, with minimal preparation where the case allows.
- The gum line: laser gum contouring to even out an uneven or gummy smile.
- Position: orthodontic alignment with braces or Invisalign, which often reduces how much other work is needed.
- Heavily restored or missing teeth: crowns, bridges and implants, designed to match the teeth around them.
Our guide to the types of cosmetic dentistry compares these options side by side, including what each costs your natural teeth.
Which aesthetic treatment fits which concern?
A starting point only. The examination decides, and the most conservative option that achieves the goal usually comes first.
| Concern | Often tried first | If more is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow or stained teeth | Professional cleaning, then whitening | Bonding or veneers for stains whitening cannot lift |
| A chipped or uneven edge | Composite bonding | A veneer or crown if the tooth is weak or the chip large |
| Small gaps | Bonding, or orthodontic closure | Veneers when shape also needs changing |
| Crowded or crooked teeth | Aligners or braces | Veneers after alignment, if shape or colour still needs work |
| Gummy or uneven gum line | Assessment of the cause | Laser gum contouring, sometimes with orthodontics |
| Old, dark crowns or fillings | Polishing or replacing old fillings | New crowns matched to whitened teeth |
What principles separate good aesthetic dentistry from a quick fix?
- Health before appearance. Gums, decay and bite are assessed and treated first.
- The least invasive route that works. Whitening before veneers where colour is the only problem; alignment before veneers where position is the problem. Enamel removed for a veneer does not grow back.
- Design from the face. Tooth length, width and the line of the edges are planned around the lips, the face and how much tooth shows when you speak and smile, not copied from a photo.
- A preview you can wear. At Creative Arts, a 3D digital smile design is turned into a physical mock-up you see in your own mouth before any irreversible preparation.
- Close work with the ceramist. Shade and surface texture are where ceramic restorations look natural or not. Creative Art Dental Lab is in the same building, so the ceramist can see your teeth under the same light as your dentist.
- A maintenance plan. Hygiene visits, a night guard if you grind, and honest guidance on when composite needs polishing or repair.
How do you choose an aesthetic dentist in Dubai?
Because neither "aesthetic dentist" nor "cosmetic dentist" is a protected title in most systems, the label tells you less than the way a dentist works. Practical checks:
- Licence. Every dentist practising in Dubai should appear in the Dubai Health Authority's public register of licensed professionals; our guide on how to check a dentist's DHA licence shows how.
- A real examination first. Expect gums, decay, bite and X-rays to be checked before any cosmetic plan.
- Alternatives in writing. A good plan lists simpler options too, with the reasons for the recommendation and the cost of each phase.
- A preview. Ask whether you will see a mock-up before your teeth are prepared.
- Their own cases. Before-and-after photos should be the dentist's own work, ideally cases like yours.
- Who makes the ceramics. Ask where the laboratory is and whether the ceramist will see you.
Our longer guide on how to choose a cosmetic dentist in Dubai covers questions to ask at the consultation.
What happens at an aesthetic dental consultation?
A first aesthetic consultation should feel more like a diagnosis than a sales meeting. At Creative Arts it usually follows this order:
- Your goals. What bothers you about your smile, and what you would like to keep. Photos of smiles you like are useful as a conversation starter, not a template.
- Health check. Teeth, gums and bite are examined, with the X-rays needed, because problems found here change the plan.
- Records. Photographs and an intraoral 3D scan capture your teeth and smile digitally.
- Options. The dentist explains which treatments could reach your goal, from the most conservative upwards, and what each involves.
- Written plan. You receive an itemised plan with the phases, alternatives and costs before committing to anything; for veneers, the design and mock-up come before any preparation.
You are free to take the plan away, ask questions or get a second opinion.
See every aesthetic and cosmetic treatment offered at Creative Arts, from whitening and bonding to veneers and smile design, and how a consultation with a written plan works.
Explore cosmetic dentistryWhy is Creative Arts called an "Aesthetic & Dental Center"?
The name reflects two things under one roof. Dentistry is the main discipline: general, restorative, cosmetic, implant and orthodontic care. Alongside it, Creative Arts has an aesthetic clinic for non-surgical skin and injectable treatments, which is a separate medical service from dental aesthetics.
On the dental side, aesthetic work is planned by Dr. Khalid Saeed, Dr. Kinan Bonni and Dr. Somar Dahdal, with ceramics designed and made by Creative Art Dental Lab in the same building at 614 Jumeira St, Jumeirah 3. The group has also run an accredited training centre for dentists and dental professionals since 2008. You can see the clinic's own results in the veneers before-and-after library.