Happy with your smile?

Are you unhappy with your smile?

Do you want to change your smile to improve the colour, shape or length of your teeth?

Or change the appearance of your gums or lips to give your overall smile a more appealing look?

A recent survey revealed that:

• Over 75% of people don’t feel confident to smile in a photograph.

• Over 45% of people make judgements about people by the look of their smile.

• Over 75% of people think that a beautiful smile helps people psychologically.

• Over 65% of people think that an attractive smile helps romantically.

A smile makeover involves one or more cosmetic, dental or facial rejuvenation procedures to improve the aesthetics of your smile. A smile makeover to one person could mean something completely different to another, and it is a very individual choice.

For example, some people want the perfectly white Hollywood smile makeover, or the celebrity smile with pearly white porcelain veneers. Other people may just want a simple improvement, such as the replacement of amalgam fillings with composite and teeth whitening. Whatever the reasons for your dissatisfaction with your smile, there are many different ways in which you can improve your smile using modern cosmetic dentistry:

• Crooked teeth can be straightened with Invisalign braces or conventional orthodontics. They can also be covered with porcelain veneers for a faster solution, often referred to as “instant orthodontics”. In this situation, the main disadvantage is that your teeth need to be prepared for veneers.

• Chipped, broken teeth can be repaired – the treatment will depend on the extent of damage, but the options include cosmetic bonding, porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns.

• Missing teeth can be replaced – gaps between your teeth can cause functional problems as well as being unsightly. Often, a smile makeover involves the replacement of existing restorations or gaps between teeth. Solutions include dental implants, a dental bridge or a denture.

• Gaps between your teeth can be closed to give your smile a more even look. This can be achieved instantly with porcelain veneers. Orthodontics can also be used to move the teeth and close the gaps between them. Invisalign invisible braces, the Inman aligner, and fixed orthodontics like Damon Braces are just a few options for moving your teeth to close gaps.

• If you have a gummy smile, this can easily be remedied by surgical or laser gum contouring.

• If you are not satisfied with the colour of your teeth, or if you have badly stained teeth, they can be treated with prophyjet cleaning or professional teeth whitening.

• If you have deep smile lines, frown lines or lips that have lost their fullness, these can all be improved using a combination of Botox and dermal filler treatments.

The end result of a smile makeover for many people is a smile to be proud of, one that is straight, white and perfectly aligned. At Ringleypark Dental Practice we have all the skills and latest equipment to make your “Smile Dreams” come true.

Dr. Arthur Walsh