Can big teeth be shaved down?

There may be many things to dread about visiting your dentist's office, but tooth reshaping doesn't have to be one of them. The procedure is simple, quick and painless -- and you won't even need to have your mouth numbed for it.

Much like you might smooth the surface of wood with sandpaper, your dentist refines a tooth's shape by using a sanding disc or diamond bur. After the reshaping has been performed, he or she will then complete the new look of the tooth by polishing it.

Reshaping, however, is not always the recommended procedure for altering the shape or size of a tooth. This is because what you think is the problem -- large teeth -- may not be the actual cause of your uneven smile. Often, one tooth will look large in comparison to another tooth that's too small. Call it a dental optical illusion, but cosmetic dentists say it's a pretty common mistake [source: Bakeman].

If the real problem is a tooth that's a bit too small, the solution is bonding, which involves having tooth-colored resin applied to the tooth to lengthen or widen it. While bonding is a little more complicated than reshaping, it's still one of the easier, more painless cosmetic dental procedures.

So, is reshaping good for your teeth? If a dentist removes too much enamel from one of your teeth, it could make the tooth more sensitive to hot and cold substances. However, if it's performed correctly, reshaping doesn't harm teeth. In fact, it may benefit your overall dental health by removing nooks and crannies where plaque and tartar can hide out.

Thinking about picking up the phone to call your dentist and create a celebrity smile to rival Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise -- or even Gary Busey? Keep reading for lots more information about dental health.