A smile can say so many things, from expressing feelings like joy to love to laughter. When you’re unhappy with your smile, however, it can mask your feelings if you’re unwilling to express yourself in that way. The good news is that modern dentistry can transform your smile into one that’s dazzling and beautiful, that you can be proud to show off. Dentists no longer just deal with tooth decay and root canals, but they can perform entire smile makeovers.
What is a smile makeover?
A smile makeover means creating a brand new smile for you. It’s similar to going to your hairstylist or makeup artist, who both can alter your appearance to meet your desires. Having your dentist alter your smile may be more time-consuming than those examples, but the results will likely be dramatic and amazing.
What are some smile makeover techniques?
• Teeth whitening – if your teeth are stained or discolored, the first place to start is with teeth whitening. Your dentist can offer tips about a variety of whitening possibilities and the one that might work best for you.
• Veneers – tooth-colored porcelain veneers may be bonded to the front of your teeth to improve their appearance. Veneers can change the shape and color of your teeth that can create a perfect smile and more youthful appearance.
• Gum contouring – if your gums are either too high or too low on your teeth, gum contouring can even out your gum lines. This corrects the appearance that your teeth are too long due to receding gums, or the look that your teeth are too small because your gums are covering more of your teeth than they should.
How do I begin the smile makeover process?
The first step is to see your dentist to discuss your desires and which dental treatments might help you achieve a winning smile. Many improvements are possible with modern technology and equipment, so it’s just a matter of working with your dentist to create your new smile.
Teenagers are known for being busy and distracted, rushing from one thing to another. They often neglect things that they don’t realize are important parts of keeping healthy. One of the aspects of their lives that teens don’t make time for is properly taking care of their teeth. Here are some ways to help keep your teen’s mouth in good shape.
Brushing and flossing
The best way for your teen to avoid cavities is to brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, and floss once a day. Even though teenagers find it tempting to skip these dental hygiene steps, the payoff of having a mouth full of healthy and sparkling teeth will be worth it.
Nutritious diet
Cutting down on sugary foods and drinks is another way to protect teeth. Teens often grab quick snacks on the run, and are inclined to reach for items that don’t have much nutritional value. Try to keep a supply of foods that appeal to your teen without endangering their oral health.
Sealants
Dental sealants are a plastic coating that a dentist applies to teeth to create a barrier that protects teeth from developing cavities. They are usually applied to chewing surfaces of back teeth and to grooves in teeth. It’s a quick and easy process that can provide additional protection against tooth decay.
Mouth guards
Teens who are involved in sports or activities like skateboarding should wear a mouth guard to protect their teeth against injury. They are the best way to avoid broken or knocked out teeth, and also to protect the mouth and face from harm. Your dentist can recommend the best type of mouth guard for your teenager.
If you have a job that entails interacting with other people, you know that the kind of impression you have on others makes a difference. That’s why you’ve probably learned to wear appropriate, attractive clothes and come prepared to perform your job. But have you thought about what kind of impression you might be making with your breath? No one wants to do business with someone who has stinky breath. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that your breath doesn’t negatively impact your job.
Find the cause
If you often have problems with a stinky smell coming from your mouth, look for what might be causing it. There are a variety of things that commonly cause bad breath. It may be the food you eat, throat problems, or medical issues. Most often, however, it’s due to poor oral hygiene.
Clean your mouth
The most obvious remedy to try first is cleaning your teeth and mouth. Brush your teeth carefully, and use a tongue cleaner to thoroughly cleanse your tongue. Do not neglect flossing your teeth, because food stuck between your teeth can really cause unpleasant breath. Gargling with mouthwash may also help, or even gargling with hydrogen peroxide because it can attack bacteria in your mouth.
Watch what you eat
Some foods are known to trigger bad breath. Stay away from onions, garlic, and fish if you want to avoid stinky breath. Drinking alcohol dries your mouth, which can also contribute to mouth odor.
See your dentist
If you still battle stinky breath after trying these techniques, see your dentist for a checkup. A professional can treat cavities or gum disease which might be causing your mouth odor, as well as look for more serious medical problems like diabetes or liver disease that can be related to bad breath.
It may be a surprise to some parents to see 7-year-olds with braces on their teeth already, but it’s becoming more common in today’s orthodontic world. Traditionally, treatment with braces began after most baby teeth were lost, and the majority of adult teeth have developed. Newer theories have led to putting braces on baby teeth so that orthodontists can manage jaw development and positioning of adult teeth. This has created a two-phase approach to orthodontics, with baby teeth braced in the first phase, followed by a rest period, and then a second phase of adult bracing.
Types of braces
Baby teeth usually don’t need full braces in the entire mouth. It depends on your child’s specific orthodontic issues as to what kind of bracing is required. Sometimes a retainer is needed to manage a cross bite, or bracing of only the front baby teeth to correct an overbite or minimize the protrusion of front teeth. Back molars and front teeth are the most commonly braced baby teeth.
Function
Once baby teeth have been positioned to create room for permanent teeth, the second phase of braces is usually shorter than the first. Sometimes a second phase isn’t even needed if the first set of braces allowed the adult teeth to align correctly. A healthy bite has been created that doesn’t need further treatment.
Time frame
You should have your child evaluated by an orthodontist by age seven, so that the need for early intervention can be determined. This lessens the requirement for more aggressive treatment later, like pulling teeth if there isn’t enough room in the jaw.
Special circumstances
Early orthodontic intervention is especially critical if your child was a thumb sucker or used a pacifier for a long time. Habits like these may have altered your child’s jaw or created a crossbite. Without bracing the baby teeth, your child’s jaw may not develop correctly and lead to a permanent misplacement of the jaw and a poor profile.
Problems with your bite, or the way your teeth and jaw fit together, can wreak havoc on your mouth. It can be painful, unattractive, and lead to other problems like tooth decay. A bad bite, or malocclusion, is one of the most common reasons that orthodontists fit patients with braces.
What does it mean to have a bad bite?
When your doctor says you have spacing or alignment problems, it’s likely that you have a bad bite. This includes crooked, crowded, or protruding teeth. A bad bite also includes having your upper and lower jaws meet improperly, even if your teeth look straight. Also, bite problems can be caused by teeth that are too close together or too far apart.
What causes bite problems?
The most common causes of bite problems are thumb-sucking, heredity, early tooth loss, and mouth trauma.
What are the benefits of correcting bad bites?
Braces can help with problems related to bite issues in a number of ways, including:
• Appearance – correcting a bad bite creates a more appealing smile, and therefore also improves your self-esteem.
• Tooth wear – an uneven bite can cause abnormal tooth wear, which sometimes leads to the need for crowns or veneers. Braces can correct this problem before your teeth have a chance to wear inappropriately.
• Jaw problems – a misaligned bite can lead to painful conditions like temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.
• Teeth cleaning – it is difficult to clean crooked, crowded, protruding, and overlapping teeth. Properly aligned teeth can be more thoroughly cleaned, and therefore have less decay.
Ask kids in the 12 and under crowd, and you’ll get an enthusiastic response to wearing braces on their teeth and getting to select colorful elastics. However, posing the same question to teenagers and adults doesn’t elicit such an excited reply. A major complaint about traditional braces is how they affect the patient’s appearance. There is a revolutionary alternative available today called Invisalign, which can improve your smile without negatively impacting your appearance.
Often called “clear braces,” Invisalign involves wearing a series of clear plastic aligners to shift your teeth. The removable aligners are worn over a period of one to two years, and your orthodontist will monitor your progress through visits every four to six weeks.
Almost everyone is a candidate for Invisalign. It can be a great option for teens and adults with fully erupted, healthy teeth. Here are some factors to consider when deciding if Invisalign is right for you:
• Wearing the aligners: the outcome is only as good as the treatment. You must agree to consistently wear the aligners about 22 hours a day, only removing them to eat, brush, or for special occasions.
• Temporary changes in your speech: sometimes the aligners can cause a minor alteration in your speech as you get used to a new set of aligners. This usually goes away as you get used to wearing them regularly.
• Teeth grinding: grinding or clenching your teeth excessively can put extra wear on your aligners. Ask your orthodontist about whether this could impact your success with Invisalign, as each case is unique.
• Staining: if you are hooked on coffee, tea, or other items known to commonly stain teeth, your aligners may get stained as well. Be careful about consuming too many staining items without brushing soon after.
Invisalign is becoming one of the most popular choices for people interested in straightening their teeth without wearing traditional braces. Your dentist or orthodontist will be able to help you determine if you are a good candidate, and to get you started on the road to a beautiful smile.
