Ask Your Dentist About Restoring Your Smile

Whether you suffer from discoloration or a cracked tooth, a damaged smile can make it difficult to face the world with confidence. Luckily, there are a lot of options in cosmetic dentistry to help you get your smile back in shape and your confidence back in order.

As we age, so do our teeth, and having a beautiful smile can become more and more difficult. Discoloration, the receding of gums, and the wearing down of teeth are just a few the symptoms that can emerge in the aging process. This isn’t even to mention the possibilities of lost or cracked teeth, which one might suffer if their oral hygiene has not been kept up to standard. Because the look of our teeth is closely linked with our hygiene, when your smile is defective, it can feel very difficult to face the world with confidence. Luckily, there are now many procedures available in cosmetic dentistry to help get your smile back into shape, and to get your confidence back.

For many people, the issue is simply one of discoloration, and this is one of the simplest problems to fix. You can talk to your dentist about different in office or take home whitening treatments and find the one that will have the greatest effect for you. If your problem is more complex, say a cracked or missing tooth, you may need a crown or an implant. A crown is molded to fit in with the rest of your teeth and is bonded onto the prepared damaged tooth. An implant is a whole new tooth that your dentist implants into the gums.

One of the biggest issues to emerge as people age is the wearing down of the teeth. Over the years the front teeth can get filed down until they appear too short. One great solution to this is porcelain veneers. A veneer is somewhat similar to a crown, except it is more cosmetic in nature. Where a crown covers an entire damaged tooth, a veneer is a thin shell that covers just the front part of the tooth. Veneers can be used to lengthen and straighten the teeth, or to fill in gaps in teeth. 

Sometimes the issue isn’t the teeth itself, but the gums. If your gums are large or uneven, it can make the teeth appear too short or crooked. There is a procedure called gum re-contouring. This procedure is usually performed with a laser, which the dentist uses to sculpt the gums into a more attractive shape, and also seals the tissue immediately which leads to a fast recovery. The procedure can be done in one visit and full recovery takes about a week.

If your regular dentist doesn’t usually do cosmetic procedures, ask him or her to recommend an office in the area that does cosmetic work. Depending on what your issues are, there may be one procedure to meet your needs, or you may require a few used in conjunction. When you go in for your initial consultation with the dentist, you’ll be able to talk about your options and make a plan for your specific needs. You can also discuss finding a plan that meets your financial needs. Many people hold off on asking about these procedures because they are afraid of cost, but a lot of offices offer financing options these days so it’s worth exploring even if you think it’s outside your price range. Your restored confidence is worth it.

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