Teeth Whitening Gets A Bad Wrap
When it comes to whitening teeth, a lot of people would rather be caught dead than admit that they need to get their teeth whitened due to discoloration caused by age, smoking, or consumption of food and beverages that stain teeth.
The truth is that most people secretly strive to have a pearly white smile of their own, they just aren’t sure how to get it. Be honest! How many times have you yourself been captivated or secretly jealous of a glowing white smile that you see in the movies or in a magazine? Whitening procedures have becoming much easier, quicker, and safer for your dentist to perform in-office.
The simplicity and ease of these treatments makes it easy for you to reap the benefits of having white teeth. For instance, as studies have proven, white teeth instantly make you look years younger, and they also help to brighten up the conversation as you can flash your white smile in confidence as you speak. Even if you don’t have a perfectly straight smile, professional teeth whitening will improve your teeth’s appearance by ensuring they are a beautiful white color, which instantly makes them appear healthier as well.
People will become attracted to your white teeth, even if they aren’t perfectly straight. Displaying a glowing white smile that you are proud to show off makes a huge difference in your self confidence, which in turn affects the way that you act and that people perceive you.
Tooth Loss Is A Difficult Topic To Grasp
Losing teeth can not only be painful, but it can be an embarrassing experience that leaves lasting effects. Often, it is difficult for people to come to terms with tooth loss and what their options are for tooth replacement. In many circumstances, tooth loss victims will attempt to hide their tooth loss by not moving their lips while speaking, not smiling openly, or not speak at all, rather than address and resolve the issue.
This is especially the case with young working adults. Not only do they fear the stigma of admitting they have suffered from tooth loss, but they also struggle to find the time to deal with it. With how busy business professionals are these days, it can be very difficult to take the time out of a workday’s regular schedule to swing by the dentist for an appointment.
The thing to remember, though, is that when you have a full smile, free of unsightly gaps caused by missing teeth, you will notice a surge in your confidence and the way that you interact with your coworkers, clients, and friends. No longer will you be afraid to show off your healthy looking smile, once you get it fixed.
As mentioned previously, people have tremendous fears of going to the dentist, and usually this fear is heightened when it comes to procedures that are perceived as more invasive like bridges or dental implants.
The assumed cost of dental procedures can also be a large deterrent. Yet, when you compare the one time monetary cost to the sense of relief and amount of happiness that having a renewed full smile will bring into your life, it seems that the costs is negligible. In addition, dental insurance can assist in the cost of the procedure.
How To Deal With Your Dental Issues, Including Tooth Damage & Tooth Loss
There are several options when it comes to dealing with damaged teeth or complete tooth loss, in order to restore the appearance of a healthy smile. The most common options being veneers, bridges, implants, dentures and partials. Below, each of these tooth replacement options is described in further detail individually.
1. Veneers
Dental veneers are made out of porcelain and are thin shells that are used to cover the front of your tooth in order to improve its appearance. These custom shells are bonded to your tooth or multiple teeth and can change their size, shape or overall appearance.
The materials that veneers are usually composed out of are a composite resin or porcelain. Porcelain veneers usually have better stain resistant properties. Veneers are usually used to fix the following issues: discolored teeth, worn down teeth, teeth that are chipped or broken, uneven or misshapen teeth, or teeth with wide gaps in between them.
2. Bridges
Dental bridges are non removable prosthesis that are attached to remaining teeth in order to replace missing teeth. With a bridge, a false tooth or several teeth are joined to create a bridge that covers the gap between the natural teeth in the mouth. Often, the teeth on either side of the bridge will be filed down in order to accept the bridge.
Bridges come in a variety of materials, but are often composed of porcelain, gold, or porcelain fused to metal, and are implemented in cases of tooth loss.
3. Implants
Dental implants utilize a series of procedures to actually replace the missing tooth. The crucial part of the implant is the titanium socket which sits in the original bone pocket of the missing tooth.
The titanium actually ends up forming a bond with the bone over time, making it a great replacement for a lost tooth. The implant or implants are then capped with a crown usually made of porcelain.
Dental implants are one of the best forms of tooth replacement because the implant prevents the jaw bone from deteriorating by maintaining its integrity, which protects the health of the surrounding teeth.
4. Dentures
Dentures are essentially a removable replacement for missing teeth. There are two main types of dentures — partials and complete.
For younger patients, partial dentures are often the tooth replacement option if they have several missing teeth, as complete dentures are used on cases when all the teeth are missing and need to be replaced. Partial dentures work great in that they help to keep the remaining teeth in place.
A removable partial denture consists of replacement teeth that are fused to a gum-colored plastic base. A partial denture will have a metal framework or for a more natural looking solution clasps can be used.
Crooked Teeth Can Be Embarrassing
When you have crooked teeth, it can be embarrassing to speak with coworkers or new acquaintances, knowing that people are focusing on your teeth instead of paying attention to you. There are several affordable options when it comes to taking care of a crooked smile.
Depending on the state of the teeth and how much work they need, there are a few options to choose from.
1. Braces
The most common form of teeth alignment is through the use of braces. Braces have been around for a long time, and are very common today, especially in adolescents. Usually, braces are placed on the teeth for a year or two in order to create a beautiful smile for the rest of the patient’s life.
2. Invisalign
However, some people believe they are too old for braces, especially young business professionals. For them, a more appropriate option is Invisalign. If you are uncomfortable with the thought of wearing braces to correct your crooked teeth, or your teeth don’t require too much straightening, then Invisalign might be a very good option for you.
Invisalign, which consists of a series of removable aligners that progressively straighten teeth, acts as an invisible retainer that slowly straightens your teeth over time. Invisalign consists of a set of custom made retainers that progressively straighten your smile through wear.
3. Retainer
The last option to straighten crooked teeth is to get a regular retainer. This is similar to the Invisalign option above, however retainers are more noticeable than the clear plastic of Invisalign and not as carefree to wear for a prolonged period of time.
When you’re uncomfortable with your smile people can tell. Especially, if you are self-conscious about revealing your teeth (and your smile) in public. If you feel as if you are one of those people who would like to improve your dental appearance due to discolored, missing, or crooked teeth, it is time to contact our experienced dental team and once again take pride in your smile.
A beautiful smile can bring so much into your life, and it is up to you to take your smile into your own hands. Therefore, we hope you have learned about the best ways to deal with discolored, crooked or missing teeth from this article.
And for more information, read up on some of our recent blog posts, including 6 Reasons Not To Fear The Dentist and The Reasons Why A Healthy Smile Equals Healthy Confidence.
