The Far-Reaching Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry

Would you like a smile that is whiter or straighter? Have you ever felt embarrassed about your teeth? Perhaps you chose not to smile or tried to hide it. Is there some flaw you would prefer gone, such as a chip, gap, or misshapen tooth? If you have experienced any of these feelings, you are not alone.

Cosmetic dentistry is a broad field. It encompasses any technique that improves smile aesthetics. It extends to the teeth, gums, and bite and emphasizes characteristics like color, shape, size, alignment, and position. Some treatments are relatively minor, such as teeth whitening. In other cases, treatment can involve a complete makeover carried out over multiple sessions. Whether the correction is minor or extensive, it can have a significant impact on your quality of life today and in the many days ahead.

The Advantages of a Smile Makeover

• Improved appearance – The important thing is how you feel about your appearance. Consider gapped front teeth, which many people want to correct, but some celebrate as a defining feature. How you appear is often a matter of how you present yourself. If there is an aspect of your smile you are displeased with, then this will undermine you during first impressions, job interviews, first dates, and so forth. With that flaw corrected, you will have a big inviting smile that welcomes people and draws them to you.
• Enhanced self-confidence – This is tied into concepts discussed above concerning improved appearance, but self-confidence merits being singled out due to how important it is. It affects all of our relationships and generally determines how successful people will be in their careers and other endeavors. Self-esteem is not magic. Some people are born with it as if it is a talent, but it is also a skill that can be developed. If there are issues that are undermining that skill, then you should opt for the corrective measures that eliminate them.
• Superior diet – Many smile imperfections that we think of as cosmetic flaws can have a real effect on how we eat. Someone with a chipped or cracked tooth may avoid hard foods that they worry could worsen the damage. If you have missing teeth, you may skip certain foods that are difficult to chew, and an uneven bite can interfere with chewing and thus result in poor digestion. With your smile corrected, you can balance your diet and improve your health based on your needs rather than your limitations.
• Better dental health – A cosmetic flaw might not create a functional problem right now, but it may in the future. Having cosmetic dental issues corrected protects you from those problems worsening and even leading to other health complications. Crowns, for instance, beautify a tooth but also prevent it from deteriorating further, and dental implants halt damage to gums and bone.
• Fatter wallet – Cosmetic and restorative dental care, followed by regular preventative care, helps protect you from future oral health problems. Serious oral health issues can get very expensive to fix even when you are insured. The investment you make today is about saving money in the future as well.

Your Individualized Smile Makeover

A smile makeover is a plan. Each plan is distinctly based on the needs and goals of the individual patient. Let us consider some of the treatments that you may opt for as part of your makeover.

• Whiten teeth – While there are over-the-counter teeth whitening products available, these are generally not as effective, and you may end up costing yourself more in the end. Without the supervision of a trained dentist, there is also the possibility of dental issues, such as tooth sensitivity. In-office treatments and take-home kits available through your dentist are safe, affordable, and highly effective.
• Replace missing teeth – Whether you are missing a single tooth or an entire arch, cosmetic dentists have a number of treatment options at their disposal. Dental implants with dental crowns are the preferred technique, but options such as dental bridges and dentures can fix the problem and create a natural appearance as well.
• Straighten and reposition teeth – Many adults do not have perfectly straight and aligned teeth but do not want to deal with the embarrassment and hassle of traditional metal braces. There are other options, such as dental veneers that look like natural teeth and can cover gaps and imperfections. For a more permanent solution, Invisalign offers clear aligners that are as effective as braces but without most of the hassles.
• Correct damaged teeth – Cosmetic dentists can correct discoloration, chips, cracks, and many other imperfections. Dental bonding is an option for a wide range of minor flaws, and porcelain veneers can correct most issues. If a tooth is badly decayed, then it can be covered with a crown that restores both its function and form.
• Reshape teeth – Some teeth simply form with an odd shape, such as being overly pointy, and teeth can become misshapen through wear and tear. Whatever the cause, your cosmetic dentist can adjust not just the shape of your tooth but the size, position, and more so that it matches your smile perfectly.
• Lengthen teeth – Another common problem is having one or more teeth that are shorter than the rest, and this is correctable as well. Your dentist can use dental bonding to extend short teeth, or if you opt for veneers, the height can be altered along with the color, shape, size, and so forth.

Choosing Your Cosmetic Dentist

Cosmetic dentists vary from one to the next. They specialize in different areas and offer different treatment options. Their chairside manners differ, and some are more artistic than others. Picking a cosmetic dentist off the Internet because he or she is the closest may not be in your best interest. Take the time to find the right dentist for you. Even if you have to drive a bit to get there, this is a short-term problem, whereas your beautiful smile is going to benefit you for the rest of your life.

Realize Your Perfect Smile

Cosmetic dentistry is as much an art as it is a science. Jeffrey D. Clark, DDS, is a premier cosmetic dentist in Arizona who has more than 20 years of experience creating perfect smiles. At Scottsdale Cosmetic Dentistry Excellence, each smile makeover is a unique plan personalized to the individual. Call us at 480 585 1853 to schedule your smile makeover consultation with Dr. Clark.