If you’re not happy with your smile, you aren’t alone. Surveys have shown many adults wish they could change their smile. If you are someone who wishes to change your smile, we’d love to speak with you about how smile design will not only enhance your life, but also be a self-confidence booster and improve your health and emotional well-being.
A beautiful smile can improve your social and professional life in many ways. These days, there’s so much that can be done to improve the appearance of your smile – and age doesn’t matter. The best thing about smile design is that it’s a customized approach to smile improvement. It’s a collaborative process between you and your dentist and sometimes other professionals that can include a dental lab. Through working together, you and your dentist can produce a result that is uniquely suited to your specifications.
The Process of Smile Design
Dental professionals are aware of the principles of smile design, which include symmetry, proportion and balance. All of these factors are taken into consideration when you and your dentist plan a smile makeover. Your dentist will listen to what you want, because it’s the only way you can get the smile of your dreams. After you and your dentist have discussed the look you want, the next step is for your dentist to perform a complete oral exam to see if there are any cosmetic issues that might be health-related. Through communication and careful planning, you and your dentist can come up with a plan that will give you a healthier, more beautiful smile.
Some of the cosmetic procedures a dentist could do include:
- Teeth Whitening – Your dental office offers teeth whitening treatment in-office, using strong bleaching solutions and they can even fabricate a custom treatment including mouth trays for you to do bleaching at home.
- Porcelain Veneers — With these thin, natural looking shells of dental ceramic, a person can have teeth color, shape and spacing corrected.
- Bonding — Bonding involves using composite resins which are attached or bonded to a healthy tooth in order to repair a broken or chipped tooth.
- Porcelain Crowns/Caps — These dental appliances are custom-made from life-like ceramic material and are used to restore injured or rotting teeth. These replacements can even be used as part of a dental bridge.
- Implants — Dental implants are tiny little screws made of titanium that are used to replace the root portion of a missing tooth. Implants are topped off with a porcelain crown or cap made to match a patients natural teeth. Together with a crown, an implant is a highly successful method of replacing missing teeth.
Of course, this list probably seems extensive, but it’s by no means all a dentist can do. If there’s something that’s been troubling you about your teeth, let’s plan a new smile and give you the beautiful teeth you’ve always dreamed about!
Teeth Whitening
It’s hard to think about anything more appealing than a gleaming, white smile. Yet, our teeth rarely stay as white as we’d like them to be, without a little help from the dentist. Fortunately, you can get all the help you need right in your dental office.
When done in a professional dental office, teeth whitening is a safe and effective way to brighten up your smile. It’s also one of the most common and inexpensive cosmetic dental procedures you can have done. Depending on what method of whitening you select, the results can be fabulous; in-office teeth whitening can brighten your teeth by three to eight shades – all within an hours’ time.
In-office teeth whitening done by a professional dentist will work faster and the products will protect sensitive gums and tooth root surfaces much better than an at-home kit. You should have an oral examination before any whitening procedure to make sure your teeth aren’t discolored due to a previously undiagnosed dental condition. Your dentist will also want to ensure that you know it’s very important to avoid over the counter, at-home tooth whitening kits or having the procedure done by untrained professionals. If you have any questions about tooth whitening, your dentist will be more than happy to answer them for you.
Professional Teeth Whitening
Professional teeth whitening uses a highly concentrated bleaching gel that’s not available over the counter.
In-Office Whitening — This method of teeth whitening offers the quickest results and involves using the most powerful whitening solutions possible. First, a dentist will cover your gums and tooth root surfaces with a protective barrier. Secondly, a thin plastic device called a retractor will be put in your mouth to hold your lips and gums away from your teeth as the bleaching solution is applied. The solution will remain on the teeth for up to an hour. When the gel is removed, the whitening results can be witnessed immediately.- At-Home Whitening Kits — Another effective way of whitening your teeth is using an at-home bleaching kit. Your dentist will make a mold of your teeth and then have two thin plastic trays made to fit your mouth so you’ll have one tray for the bottom and one tray for the top. You will fill up the trays with whitening gel and then place them in your mouth, usually for up to an hour. At-home whitening kits mean you will be responsible for using the products properly and you should remember it may take several weeks before you get the results you desire.
Caring for Whitened Teeth
There are many things you can do to make sure your newly whitened smile will last as long as possible. You should make sure to brush and floss your teeth on a daily basis to prevent plaque build-up, and always maintain your regularly scheduled dental visits and cleanings. Avoid any food or drinks which may stain your teeth and don’t smoke because it will result in yellowing your new smile within a few weeks. A minor touch up every so often either at your dental office or using an at-home kit, will help keep your smile brilliant and beautiful.
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