subject: The Smile Makeover: What It Can Do for You [print this page] The Smile Makeover: What It Can Do for You
Few people are blessed with a naturally perfect smile. Even those with healthy teeth often wish their smile was brighter, more vibrant, and more attractive. Luckily, cosmetic dentistry offers a number of procedures for correcting missing or chipped teeth, discolored or dull teeth, misaligned teeth, or just a lackluster smile. If you would like to address these problems and see how you can have the beautiful smile you've always wanted, you should ask your cosmetic dentist to help you plan a smile makeover.
What to Consider
Your cosmetic dentist will review with you the aspects of your smile you want addressed. He or she will make note of your facial shape, skin tone, hair color, and lip color and shape, as well as the appearance of your teeth: their color, width, length, and shape. Some aspects of your smile that you will consider together are the following:
Tooth color Dark, dull, or discolored teeth can make you look older or unhealthy. Professional teeth whitening and porcelain veneers may be the best way to brighten your smile while maintaining a natural-looking tooth color.
Missing teeth Missing teeth can make an otherwise attractive smile less inviting; they can also affect your bite and even promote tooth decay. Dental implants, bridges or partial dentures can restore natural-looking teeth.
Alignment and spacing Teeth that are overly crowded or overlapping can cause problems with gum health; crooked teeth are unsightly and can affect your bite. Orthodontic devices and aligners like Invisalign can straighten teeth and space them more evenly.
Uneven, chipped and cracked teeth Unsightly flaws in teeth can be corrected using composite bonding agents, or for larger targets, dental crowns.
Lip and cheek contour A sagging, unshapely face can be improved, or an aging face rejuvenated, by replacing missing teeth, or with some orthodontic and/or maxillofacial procedures.
Aesthetic Considerations
Beyond the physical characteristics and alignment of your teeth, your cosmetic dentist will evaluate other, more aesthetic attributes of your smile:
Tooth length Normal wear and tear can shorten teeth and make you look older; long teeth make you appear younger. Composite bonding or porcelain veneers will help reshape and lengthen teeth, especially the top two center teeth. If your smile is too "gummy," the gum line may be recontoured or your crowns lengthened.
Tooth proportions The most pleasing smiles have teeth with a certain proportion relative to the two top central teeth. Your dentist will measure the width-to-length ratio of all visible teeth, and suggest procedures to better balance your smile line.
Tooth texture Your cosmetic dentist can aesthetically match the look and feel of natural teeth, in preparing crowns and veneers. A more masculine, or more feminine, appearance can also be achieved by careful choice and skilled preparation of dental materials.
If you live in Houston or the Woodlands, Texas area and would like to learn more about smile makeovers, please visit the website of cosmetic dentist Scott Young, D.D.S., at Woodlands Premier Dentistry, to schedule an initial consultation.
