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Your smile is an integral part of your personality and affects how you express yourself and how you relate to others. While it’s not life-threatening, an unattractive or unbecoming smile can have a profound impact on your life - whether you recognize it or not.

Smiles should complement the face and the overall beauty of the individual. They blend with the eyes and are the main focal point of the face. They should not draw undue or exaggerated attention to themselves or create a distraction for the wearer or those they interact with.

In the past "fixing your smile" meant getting braces to straighten crooked teeth. Today it is that and so much more! Cosmetic or "appearance related dentistry" today is any dental work which improves the appearance of your smile. Having an attractive smile speaks to the balance and proportion that comes from nature itself. An experienced cosmetic dentist understands how to create wonderful smiles because they use their artistic skills and experience to blend nature’s cosmetic design principles with modern dental materials to achieve a radiant and stunning smile.

How can you know if your dentist is a well trained and experienced cosmetic dentist?

Common sense says that the words "Cosmetic Dentist" in an advertisement does not make a dentist a cosmetic dentist! So before you submit yourself to the scrutiny and care of just any "cosmetic dentist", how can you know you are in experienced and trusted hands?

Before we discuss the various Smile Solutions available with today’s Modern Dentistry, let’s revisit how you can best determine the right dentist for your new smile. Just as in all walks of life, not all dentists are created equal. Fortunately, success, experience and talent leave clues!

Because cosmetic dentistry is not taught in dental schools per se dentists must receive continuing education in cosmetics from post-graduate education courses and seminars. These tips will help you in selecting the right cosmetic dentist.

Here are a few questions or considerations which may help you in finding the right Cosmetic Dentist:
- Have they ever taught other dentists, or taken extensive hands-on advanced training in any of the country’s leading post-graduate centers?
- Have they published articles or written any books on these subjects, or in any other way are they considered an ‘expert’ in the area of restorative or cosmetic dentistry?
- As a prospective cosmetic patient it would be reassuring to see before and after photographs of the dentist’s own cosmetic work. Confirm that the photos you’re viewing are actual patients of the dentist and not photos purchased from a dental marketing company or from another dentist. Cosmetic dentists will have no problem providing this information because they are always taking photographs to document their work and to help in the learning/teaching process, to improve dental laboratory communications, and to help other people understand the work they do.
Below we’ll discuss several smile solutions which can fix damaged smiles and make your smile truly remarkable. Cosmetic dentistry options range from basic teeth whitening, to cosmetic bonding, to more complex procedures such as orthodontic braces and porcelain veneers. As previously noted some of the more advanced and comprehensive solutions can improve facial features as well as give you a beautiful new smile.

What to expect in your first one or two visits during the dental evaluation process
1. Tooth Whitening

Having a whiter smile is the #1 request of people looking to improve their smile. That no doubt is because a whiter smile is a more youthful smile and it portrays a healthy successful image. Teeth naturally become darker over time as we age. Certain foods, beverages and antibiotics can also stain teeth, and old fillings and tooth decay can darken any smile. But it’s not so much what happens to the outside of the tooth enamel that matters, as much as what is happening inside the tooth as it ages. For this you can thank "Mother Nature"!

Teeth whitening is a quick and inexpensive way to make your smile brighter. However, there are limitations to this non-invasive and inexpensive form of cosmetic treatment. Whitening obviously cannot change the shape of your teeth, close gaps, straighten your teeth, or change the color of existing crowns and fillings. Teeth that are naturally grey or have blue-ish hues do not whiten as well as teeth with intrinsic yellow/ brown shades to begin with.

If your teeth are already straight and are not worn down and otherwise look good except for the color - then whitening may be just for you. Whitening is not permanent so expect the teeth to darken again with age if the procedure is not repeated or periodically "touched up".

2. Tooth Colored Fillings

Over the past 150 plus years dentistry has probably placed billions and billions of dark colored metal fillings to fill holes left behind by the removal of dental decay. Cavities have been filled with "amalgam" fillings for decades, ever since the early to mid 1800s. These fillings are a mixture of heavy metals including tin, silver, zinc and mercury, hence the term ‘amalgam’.

Silver-mercury fillings have created a cosmetic nightmare for people of all ages because of their disfiguring and unsightly appearance, even though they are mostly used on the back chewing teeth. Many researchers and other people believe that the mercury in these fillings is not safe and can enter the body through breathing the mercury vapors which off-gas from these fillings, causing health problems in some people.

While the scientific community still debates these health and safety issues, the cosmetic argument has largely been rendered mute because of the advent of modern tooth-colored composite resin fillings. When given the choice between an ugly dark mercury amalgam filling and a tooth-colored composite filling – the choice is clear!

Tooth colored resin filling materials do not expand and contract like metal amalgam fillings, and in fact will strengthen a tooth when bonded properly. Best of all – they look like a tooth! This makes them a wonderful filling material for smaller fillings in both the back teeth as well as the teeth up front in the ‘smile zone’.

3. Porcelain Crowns

In the past when a tooth was so badly broken down that it required more than a filling, the tooth was restored with a gold crown. While these are incredibly strong, they have the disadvantage of being gold colored! Porcelain crowns solve this esthetic problem and have been improved to a point where they are now considered as strong and durable as gold. They obviously have the distinct advantage of making any tooth in the mouth a strong and natural looking tooth. A distinct advantage to these modern porcelain crowns is that they can be fitted to end or sit above the gum line, making it a safer choice for the health of the gum tissues.

4. Porcelain Veneers

Today, dentistry’s most popular cosmetic procedure is porcelain veneers. This is because of their life-like cosmetic properties as well as their tooth-strengthening properties when bonded securely to the tooth.

Just as acrylic nails reshape a woman’s fingernails, porcelain veneers are very thin shells of bonded porcelain which strengthen, re-shape, and beautify your teeth. Unlike acrylic nails, porcelain veneers are strong and long lasting. Plus they will not darken over time. They have a natural life-like quality which restores teeth to their natural youthful vitality.

Porcelain veneers are the mainstay of modern cosmetic dentistry. When done correctly they are indistinguishable from natural teeth. They can close spaces, make crooked teeth straight (so called "instant orthodontics"), and change the color and shape of your teeth. They can turn any unattractive smile into one of radiant beauty. Generally, porcelain veneers only take two visits to complete. Experienced dentists can even change your entire smile (called a full-mouth reconstruction) in as little as two treatment visits!

The Disadvantages of Porcelain Veneers:

Porcelain veneers are not reversible, and are generally not inexpensive. People who want to overcome the disfiguring effects of a blemished or aged smile always understand these disadvantages and count the solution as being well worth it to be able to smile with confidence again, to comfortably chew again, and to enjoy more satisfying social interactions and confidence in their careers.

The Advantages of Porcelain Veneers:

Porcelain veneers straighten and brighten a crooked smile, strengthen weakened teeth and are a very kind to the teeth, especially compared to other options. Porcelain veneers can turn ANY smile into a more beautiful smile that will last a very long time if well cared for and maintained.

5. Porcelain Onlays

Porcelain onlays are restorations used to restore the back chewing teeth. They are used on teeth that don’t require crowns but need something more than a simple filling. They are bonded in place and therefore strengthen the tooth in a very conservative manner. They are extremely life-like.

6. Orthodontics

Orthodontics (braces) have been a very common way for children to improve their smiles. Until recently, braces have not been very popular (or even practical) with adults. This all changed a few years ago with the invention of Invisalign, along with other "adult orthodontic" treatment techniques.

Newer braces technology and improved nickel-titanium wires have revolutionized how braces work. And they aren’t just for kids anymore! Adults of all ages are discovering that they can straighten unsightly smiles and even correct bite problems using this newer science and technology. People with jaw or bite problems find great relief from jaw pain and headaches when teeth and jaw positions are aligned properly along with straightening their smile.

If you’ve been avoiding braces because of the "tin grin" look - Invisalign is an invisible way to move and straighten your teeth JUST like braces … only without the braces. A series of clear acrylic mouth trays are used to gradually and invisibly move teeth. These aligners are changed about every two weeks - and before you know it you’re enjoying a straight new smile. To be clear, braces can’t change the color or shape of your teeth, but they can straighten crooked smiles, close gaps between your teeth, and align your teeth. Where appropriate, Invisalign does it without the permanent metal hardware and wires typical with traditional braces.

Smile Solutions

How can you know if your dentist is a well trained and experienced cosmetic dentist?

Here are a few questions or considerations which may help you in finding the right Cosmetic Dentist:

What to expect in your first one or two visits during the dental evaluation process

1. Tooth Whitening

2. Tooth Colored Fillings

3. Porcelain Crowns

4. Porcelain Veneers

The Disadvantages of Porcelain Veneers:

The Advantages of Porcelain Veneers:

5. Porcelain Onlays

6. Orthodontics

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