A Guide to Smile Makeovers
For many people, the idea of standing up in front of a room full of people and delivering a speech is worrying enough, but those with uneven or missing teeth may find this experience even more daunting.
People living with an unattractive smile often find they struggle to maintain a high quality of life due to their limited confidence and reluctance to communicate with other people in person for fear of judgement.
While this may seem unfathomable for some, this problem is an everyday occurrence for a high number of individuals who simply feel there are no solutions for their particular problem.
What is a smile makeover?
This is the name for a single or group of cosmetic, dental or facial procedures to improve the aesthetics of a person’s teeth. The most important factor to consider is a smile makeover for one person could mean something completely different to another, making it a very personal choice.
For instance, some members of the public dream of enjoying the perfectly white Hollywood smile makeover, or the celebrity smile with porcelain veneers, while other people may want a simple improvement, such as the replacement of a filling with composite and teeth whitening.
How can this method improve my smile?
Whatever the reasons for disliking a smile, individuals may find there are a number of ways they can correct their pearly whites using modern cosmetic dentistry.
Chipped and broken teeth can be repaired, depending on the extent of the damage, with the most common options including cosmetic bonding, porcelain crowns and veneers – which have become extremely popular in recent years.
Crooked pearly whites are usually straightened with Invisalign braces or more conventional orthodontic treatments. These too can be covered with veneers for a faster solution that is often referred to as instant orthodontics.
One of the only disadvantages of this course of action, however, is that the natural teeth need to be shaven down in order to prepare for the new fittings.
Missing teeth can be replaced, as gaps between the pearly whites can cause a number of functional problems, as well as being unattractive. In many cases, a smile makeover involves the replacement of existing restorations or extra spaces.
Solutions for this type of issue include dental implants, a bridge or a denture.
Gaps between pearly whites are usually closed to give the smile a more even appearance. In most cases, this is achieved instantly with porcelain veneers such as Lumineers or da Vinci veneers. Orthodontics can also be used to move teeth and close the spaces between them.
Invisalign braces, the Inman aligner, damon braces, lingual fixtures and fixed options can all be utilised to resolve the problem.
A gummy smile can be fixed with a simple surgical or laser gum contouring procedure, while those with discoloured pearly whites – that may have stained due to smoking or drinking alcohol – can be treated with prophyflex cleaning or professional teeth whitening.
What are dental veneers?
As discussed above, some of the most popular methods of smile makeovers consist of having dental veneers fitted. These are wafer-thin laminates of tooth-coloured material – made of porcelain, ceramic or composite bonding material – that are cemented to the front surface of teeth to improve their appearance.
Usually, they are utilised to resolve issues concerning stained, damaged, crooked or pearly whites that are gapped and are growing increasingly popular among individuals of all ages looking to improve their quality of life.
What does the procedure entail?
During the procedure, a specially-designed dental file is used to shave a tiny part of the front surface of the teeth, which is usually equivalent to the thickness of the fitting that will sit over the top.
Following this, a mould of the pearly whites is taken and dental putty is placed in the mouth and pushed into the teeth to create an imprint that is then used to create an accurate model.
When it comes to the second appointment, patients are fitted with their new dental veneers, while the natural structures are thoroughly cleaned and roughened with a special gel to create the optimum conditions for the attachment.
What about Invisalign?
Also mentioned above, Invisalign braces are becoming an increasingly popular method of straightening crooked teeth that are an alternative to traditional fixed options, which can often be embarrassing for adults to wear.
Why is this better than traditional methods?
In most cases, patients favour Invisalign over other orthodontic treatments for a number of reasons, primarily because they are much more comfortable than metal braces.
Additionally, these fixtures are extremely convenient and can be removed when eating or to clean the teeth, while the discreet nature of the fixtures means they are almost completely invisible to the naked.
Pearl Dental Clinic is open 7 days a week from 9am to 9pm. You can book an appointment by calling us on 0208 547 9997 or emailing us or booking an appointment online.