Nowadays we are as conscious as ever about our teeth and how they look. Dental hygiene is the most important aspect of maintaining good looking teeth. For those who have already suffered tooth loss and tooth decay cosmetic dental implants are the most beneficial procedure to help you regain your tooth’s natural look and function. However, if you want to improve your smile in other ways there are a number of other cosmetic dental procedures available to make this happen. This article will go through just a few of them.
Tooth whitening
Tooth discoloration is a very common problem caused mainly by diet and poor lifestyle choices. Excessive coffee and red wine can lead to discolored teeth another factor is smoking. A contributory factor is that a lot of us aren’t aware of the correct dental hygiene procedures. To keep your teeth looking as white a possible it’s important to follow a dentist’s advice on correct oral hygiene procedures but unfortunately, many of us tend to ignore dentists advice. Once the damage is done however it is not the end of the world as the tooth whitening procedure is painless and relatively easy.
Most dentists will fit you for a mouth guard which will then be filled with a gel containing a bleaching agent (normally hydrogen peroxide). Many people opt to whiten their teeth at home. These kits are not as strong as the dental treatment but are a great way to maintain your tooth’s whiteness following a clinical tooth whitening procedure. Read our article on the best home tooth whitening kits to find out the most popular home tooth whitening products.
Tooth Straightening
Crooked teeth are often something which is out of our control. For those that are lucky enough to get the problems rectified in their teens this is something that they don’t have to worry about in adulthood but many adults who have not been fortunate to have braces applied when they were younger are choosing to live with crooked teeth rather than opt for the traditional ‘train track’ tooth straightener. Fortunately, now there is a range of tooth straightening products out there which work to straighten teeth quickly and discretely.
One such product is the ‘Invisalign’ range of straighteners. Rather than being a full-on brace Invisalign is a series of clear plastic removable aligners. There are also products such as the Damon brace which works much more quickly than conventional braces as they do not utilize the elastic leading to increased comfort.
Veneers
Some people want the option to improve their teeth completely without going through a long drawn out procedure or going through the risk of your teeth reverting back to their original state. Veneers are the Hollywood favorite procedure as they give perfect teeth without the rigmarole of a lengthy dental procedure. Veneers unlike all the other procedures we have mentioned do not correct any underlying issues. They simply mask them and it is up to you and your dentist to decide if this is the best option for you.
Dental Implantation is not the only option for improving your smile. In order to determine what the best option is for you, it’s important for you to see your dental practitioner and let him help you decide what’s for your teeth.