Your smile greatly impacts your overall look and the impression you leave on others. It also affects your self-confidence and the way you carry yourself when you socialize in public. For this reason, if you have teeth problems, you’re most likely not able to neither present yourself proudly in social situations nor enjoy gatherings because they make you self-conscious.
The good news is that you don’t have to live with discolored or misaligned teeth forever. You also no longer have to depend on filters and editing tools to brighten your smiles. Thanks to the technology available today, cosmetic dentistry provides effective techniques to enhance your smile and your overall appearance.
Here are four popular dental treatments that you should know:
1. Teeth Whitening
Your teeth naturally become dull as you age because of the foods and drinks you consume every day. Moreover, certain drinks can stain your teeth and make them appear yellowish, such as coffee and tea. While this is unavoidable and a natural part of life, you can brush your teeth regularly and consider adding teeth whitening into your dental care routine.
Teeth whitening treatments take at least 30 minutes, and you will need a new treatment every six months to keep your smile white and bright. You can coordinate with our friendly dentists to know the type of whitening treatment and the frequency you need to achieve your smile goals.
2. Invisalign
The common solution to straighten teeth is the traditional metal braces. However, if you want to do away with the uncomfortable and unsightly wires, Invisalign is your best bet. Invisalign has several treatment options for various alignment problems, such as underbite, overbite, overcrowding, and crossbite.
What makes Invisalign different from the traditional braces is that it is comfortable and almost invisible. Throughout the treatment, you will be wearing a series of clear and removable aligners that fit snugly to your teeth, which move them gradually. The treatment usually lasts for up to 18 months, and afterward, you will be recommended to wear a retainer to make sure your teeth stay in their new place.
3. Dental Implants
If you’ve lost your confident smile due to missing, decayed, or unsightly teeth, you might want to consider having dental implants. Although this can be an expensive procedure, its long-term benefits will be a solution to your problem.
The surgeon implants a piece of screw-like metal surgically into the jaw where your missing tooth’s roots were. This implant serves as the guide upon which bone grows again over time. This procedure can be overwhelming, but the good thing is that the dental implants are made to last long, especially if they are done with an experienced surgeon and maintained with proper care.
4. Crowns and Bridges
If you want to cover missing teeth but want a less invasive procedure than dental implants, crowns and bridges will be your alternative.
Crowns, also called caps, completely cover a misshapen tooth to restore its normal shape and appearance. It can also be used to protect a weak tooth and cover a dental implant. Bridges, on the other hand, connects the gap created by missing teeth. It is made up of the false tooth/teeth that will be placed on the hole, along with one crown on each side that will be placed on top of the teeth adjacent to the gap. These two crowns serve as the anchor for the false teeth.
Conclusion
As long as you are willing to put in the time, effort, and finances to care for your teeth and enhance its appearance, there are various treatments that will help achieve a beautiful smile. For best results, you can also mix and match these treatments, as suggested by your dentist.
If you’re looking for a reliable and experienced family dentist in Chattanooga, our experts at Shallowford Family Dental Group are ready to help. It is our commitment to serve our patients with dedication and care to help them achieve their smile goals – get in touch with us today!