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Aesthetic dentistry is supposed to be transparent. It is beautiful, pleasing dentistry. Its results don’t look artificial. The teeth are left looking natural. This is an exaggeration, but if someone whose teeth were completely black broke a tooth, aesthetic dentistry would fix the tooth and make it black to blend in naturally.

Cosmetic dentistry, in contrast, can be seen as “an elective procedure to alter existing natural or unnatural peridontium and/or associated tissues to a 12 different set of values that the patient perceives will enhance their appearance.” So in case of the person with black teeth, the solution would be to fix that one tooth and make all of the other teeth white. Today, such a person is more likely to say, “I broke my tooth but I’ve always hated my black teeth. Can you fix them all?”

Read more about What’s in a Smile? in the book "Your Guide to the Perfect Smile".