Are you unhappy with the way your grin looks? You’re hardly alone. More than a quarter of people don’t like to smile because of their teeth. The good news is that you’re not necessarily stuck with the current appearance of your teeth; cosmetic dentistry can be used to make a variety of improvements to your grin. But is it the best choice for you? To answer that, you can follow the three simple steps below.
1. Figure Out What You Want
“Improving your smile” means something different for everybody. Before you start trying to make any major changes to your teeth, it’s important to figure out exactly what it is that you want to accomplish. Take a look at your smile and consider the following questions:
- Do you wish that your teeth were whiter?
- Do you see any chips or cracks on your visible teeth?
- Do you have any misshapen or improperly aligned teeth?
- Do your teeth seem unusually small, or do you see too much gum tissue when you smile?
Once you’re able to narrow down exactly what’s bothering you about your grin, you can start considering whether cosmetic dentistry is the right solution.
2. Research Different Cosmetic Treatments
There are many different forms of cosmetic dentistry that are designed to address a wide range of problems. Depending on what flaws you’ve noticed in your smile, you may want to research one or more of the following treatments:
- Teeth Whitening: This is often ideal for patients with stained or discolored smiles. The treatment can dramatically brighten the teeth by six to eight shades.
- Veneers: Veneers are among the most versatile cosmetic treatments. These thin sheaths can completely cover your teeth to hide discoloration, chips, cracks, and other imperfections.
- Bonding: When your smile only needs one or two minor corrections, bonding can help you get results quickly. A small amount of composite resin is applied to the tooth to hide the flaw in question.
- Gum Recontouring: Patients with a gummy smile may want to think about having gum recontouring done. A small amount of gum tissue is removed, exposing more of the teeth so that they appear to be the right size.
3. Schedule a Consultation with a Cosmetic Dentist
When you know what kind of changes you want to make and have an idea of what treatment you want, you can reach out to your dentist to schedule a consultation. Once they’ve examined your smile, they can confirm whether you’re a candidate for cosmetic dentistry and put together a potential treatment plan for you. Their recommendations will be based on your specific needs, so you can be confident that whatever they suggest will give you plenty of reasons to smile.
Cosmetic dentistry can do wonders for your appearance as well as your confidence. Don’t lose any time taking the first step in improving your grin; start thinking about the changes you want to make now so that you have an idea of what kind of treatments you’ll want to ask your dentist about.
About the Author
Dr. M. Kent Smith became interested in dentistry as a field after several years of orthodontic work helped him overcome a certain dental condition. He opened his Edmond dental practice in 1988. Among his various services, he offers various cosmetic treatments like veneers, whitening, bonding, and gum recontouring. To schedule a cosmetic consultation with him, visit his website or call (405) 341-7773.