A bright, healthy smile is a game changer. An imperfect set of teeth can cause a person’s mind to wander to their appearance too often — during personal or professional interactions — but with a healthy and attractive smile, confidence soars.
Dental imperfections are not rare: from discoloration to missing teeth, many people suffer from a dental issue that brings their confidence down, yet is easily remedied with cosmetic dentistry. Perfecting a patient’s smile with cosmetic dentistry improves both professional and social life quality, as well as improves the patient’s oral and overall health.
A guaranteed healthier smile
The esthetics of our smiles coupled with a healthy set of teeth is a huge confidence builder, giving patients the courage to smile bigger. Cosmetic dentistry is indicated for a wide range of concerns, including discolored teeth, missing teeth, broken crowns or fillings, and even gummy smiles. Being self-conscious about your smile for any of these reasons can easily be remedied with one of the many services that cosmetic dentists provide.
Know the cosmetic procedure being offered
From simple tooth whitening to dental implants, or even a simple gap closure between teeth, modern dentistry has a range of tools and procedures that can treat these concerns. With each treatment, it is important that the patient fully understands the procedure, what to expect, and any risks that may be accompanied with it.
This is something that every dentist should explain before settling on a treatment plan, but if in doubt, a patient should never hesitate to ask for more information or a repeated explanation. It is also important that the patient understands all of the costs associated with the procedure. Patients should be informed of any post-procedure special care, whether short- or long-term, especially to ensure that he or she is capable and willing to perform this care.
The top 5 cosmetic dentistry treatments
1. Dental implants
Dental implants are a solution for one or multiple missing teeth. A dental implant effectively acts as the root of a tooth and replaces the root of the missing tooth. Prosthetic teeth are then placed on top of the implant. Dental implants are the most stable, healthy, esthetic solution for missing teeth that can last for decades when cared for properly. Removable and fixed (permanent) options are available, with both providing tooth replacement that can look, feel and function just like natural teeth.
2. Dental crowns
A dental crown is a superficial cover that is placed over a patient’s natural tooth and encases it completely. Dental crowns are used to cover teeth that have either an esthetic or functional imperfection, as they are able to improve the appearance and strengthen natural teeth. Oral function can also be improved through the use of dental crowns, helping improve a patient’s ability to chew and speak.
3. Dental veneers
Dental veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are permanently bonded to the tooth. They are often used to mask a discolored tooth, or one that has an undesirable shape or positioning. Dental veneers are mostly used on the front surface of teeth that are visible when the patient smiles, as they are purely an esthetic solution with no functional consequence.
4. Teeth whitening
Teeth whitening is the most common practice in cosmetic dentistry, and whitening kits are even available over-the-counter for patients to use at home. However, a professional whitening will have much more significant effects than any do-it-yourself kits. Teeth whitening acts as a deep cleaning to remove stains built up over time from smoking or excessive consumption of staining beverages such as coffee, tea or wine. A stain-free, white smile provides a huge burst of confidence.
5. Tooth bonding
Dental bonding is a quick and easy cosmetic procedure for minor adjustments to teeth. For any large gaps between the teeth, visible cracks or chips, a soft composite resin can be used to fill in and smooth these imperfections. This process, called dental bonding, is followed by shaping and polishing of the resin once it has dried and hardened, restoring a patient’s original smile.
People with insecurities about their smile tend to think too often about their mouths when interacting, and often close their mouth when their mind wanders to it. Using cosmetic dentistry to restore confidence through a beautiful smile, interactions with other people are more relaxed, natural and focused. A patient’s quality of life and oral health can be massively improved in one or two visits, walking out with a refreshed and beaming smile.
