Smile Makeover: How to Maintain Your Results

Simply put, a smile makeover is the process of enhancing the appearance of the smile through one (or more) cosmetic dentistry procedures. Some of the cosmetic dentistry procedures included are:

  • Teeth whitening
  • Composite bonding
  • Tooth implants
  • Dental veneers

A smile makeover is a cosmetic procedure that can be performed to improve your dental health and appearance. The components of this treatment include skin tone, tooth color (required for some procedures), gum tissue display as well as lip size/shape in order to achieve the desired look.

What aspects of your smile can be improved? Discuss with your dentist in detail what it is that you would like to achieve. Some of the concerns most patients have include:

Tooth Color

Dental health is an important consideration when it comes to your dental well-being. Silver or amalgam fillings can be replaced with natural tooth colored composite restorations, while teeth whitening will help improve the color of stained or dulled teeth for a better result.

The goal of teeth whitening is to produce a brighter smile and whiter teeth. Cosmetic dentists are trained in finding the perfect balance between providing you with an attractive, more youthful-looking smile while not sacrificing your natural tooth color or hiding it completely by making veneers too dark for your face tone.

Spacing or Alignment

Teeth that are crooked, overlapping or have gaps between them can be straightened and aligned when necessary through orthodontics. If you want a more aesthetically pleasing smile without spending the dentist’s fee on veneers then Invisalign may be right for you.

Balance and Harmony

Teeth that are uneven, chipped and cracked can be cosmetically bonded for an improved appearance. A gummy smile may also need to have its shape re-contoured in order to give the overall look of your smile a boost.

 

Fuller Smile, Cheeks, and Lips

A person’s face can be improved or rejuvenated with procedures in the smile makeover category, including orthodontics and/or oral maxillofacial surgery.

Missing Teeth

Missing teeth can be replaced by dental implants, bridges or partial dentures. The loss of one or more sets of teeth will affect your smile in many ways—from how it looks to whether you’re at risk for tooth decay because the space where they were is open and unprotected.

How to Maintain Your Results

Cosmetic dentistry procedures require regular oral hygiene care and may have a maintenance requirement over time. For example, teeth whitening must be repeated on occasion in order to maintain brightness.

Cosmetic teeth whitening procedure includes treating stains caused by substances like coffee or wine with toothpaste before brushing at home. This can help remove the unwanted color from your teeth.

Dental work can be a big investment and it’s important to know that just like anything else, your teeth will wear out over time. If you have porcelain veneers or crowns installed on them then they may chip or break off in the future.

Permanent composites also stain easily from food particles so its best if these replacements are done eventually too at about 15 years down the road once again depending upon each individual case.

Before a cosmetic dentist can develop the perfect smile for you, they must first evaluate your oral health. Your teeth and gums will be inspected along with any underlying support structure in order to find out if it’s eligible for change through procedures such as tooth extractions or crowns.

If there are issues that need addressing like misaligned jaws (malocclusion), gum disease symptoms present at time of evaluation, then these problems should also get sorted before moving forward because this could lead into more serious complications down the road.