Going to the dentist isn’t always about having a check-up or needing a filling. It’s not just about helping your teeth stay healthy but also to help them look their best. If you lack self-confidence due to imperfections in your smile, cosmetic dentistry can help your rebuild your confidence with a range of simple, effective procedures.
There’s no need to go through life feeling ashamed to show your smile when it’s so easy to improve your appearance with cosmetic dental procedures. Whether your confidence has been undermined thanks to gaps, discolouration, chips or misshapen teeth, it’s now possible for cosmetic dentistry to give you the smile you’ve always wanted.
The goal of cosmetic dentistry is to improve the appearance of your teeth, gums or bite. This is done by using various methods depending on your particular needs to alter the alignment, colour, position, shape and size of your teeth.
While generally performed for aesthetic reasons, cosmetic dental procedures can also improve oral function. For example, crooked teeth affect the way you bite and can lead to pain or worn spots on teeth, or food can get stuck between teeth leading to irritation and plaque build-up.
You may have dental flaws that have been caused by a traumatic experience such as a sports injury or accident. You may have suffered a developmental abnormality, causing crooked, misaligned teeth. Or you may simply have acquired dental damage such as decay, cracks, and chips. Whatever the cause of your dental flaws, there’s no denying there is a big effect on your self-image–it’s hard to feel good about yourself if you don’t like the way you look.
Walking around with stained or crooked teeth can cause you to feel embarrassed or feel the need to hide your mouth or limit your smiling. Having yellowed teeth can make you appear much older than you are, which can affect your self esteem, whereas a simple whitening procedure can reduce the signs of ageing and give you a huge confidence boost.
The simple fact is, having a beautiful, clean, bright smile is magnetic to people around you. Having great teeth gives you an undeniable boost to your self-esteem and self-confidence, making social situations less stressful, and allowing you to feel less inhibited so that you can be your true self.
Whether it’s going to a job interview or a first date, or just dealing with the ordinary social interactions of everyday life, having attractive teeth lets you overcome the embarrassment you feel when you have concerns over your facial appearance. Being able to smile without worrying about your dental flaws goes a long way towards helping you project self-confidence, which people find so attractive.
Many people with anxiety about the appearance of their teeth actively avoid smiling, which can greatly affect their lives. It causes them difficulties meeting people face-to-face, prevents them laughing as much as they would like, even stops them forming relationships or advancing their career simply through a lack of confidence.
But the beauty is that these days, dentists can perform wonders with cosmetic procedures that are not invasive and that are painless. Here are some of the cosmetic treatments that you can ask your dentist about: Chances are at least one of them will give you the dazzling smile you are seeking, and a massive boost to your self-esteem.
- Tooth whitening
One of the most popular and affordable ways to dramatically improve the appearance of your teeth is tooth whitening. Even if you have excellent oral hygiene, it is normal that as you age, your tooth enamel darkens, leaving stains that can leave you feeling very self-conscious. Your teeth can also become discoloured from consumption of coffee, tea, nicotine or medication. But with a simple in-office procedure, or a take-home procedure, you can remove years’ worth of stains and greatly improve the brightness and colour of your teeth.
- Veneers
Veneers are thin, translucent shells matched to your natural tooth colour and are used to treat gaps, chips, misshapen teeth and stains that whitening can’t remove. They can also seal up damaged teeth so that little cracks don’t worsen. Most useful on front teeth, they fit over your teeth to change their shape, size, shade or length.
- Bonding
When you have teeth that are too small or require additional protection, bonding is a procedure similar to veneers which involves applying tooth-coloured composite resin to fix flaws like cracks and chips, fill in gaps or changes the colour or shape of teeth. Bonding can usually be done in a single office visit and will last for years.
- Partial dentures
If you have missing teeth, partial dentures can be custom-made to fit perfectly and blend with your natural teeth.
- “Invisible” braces
An alternative to traditional metal braces, these are clear aligners which correct tooth crowding and thereby improve your bite and your smile. They are comfortable and discreet and have the advantage of being removable for eating and toothbrushing. Each set of aligners is custom-made and periodically replaced.
- Crowns
Custom made crowns attach to titanium ‘roots’ which are implanted in your gums. While they can be an expensive option, they are a permanent solution to lost teeth. Crowns are generally used to rebuild molars.
Any of these options will dramatically improve your confidence.
At BHD, our professional and compassionate staff use the latest dental technology and techniques to give you that smile you’ve always wanted and help you to regain your self-confidence. Give us a call today to arrange a consultation to find the best treatment option for your particular needs and allow our skilled cosmetic dentists to give you that confidence and sparkle back that can change your life.
