Cosmetic Dentistry

There is an old song, made famous by Louis Armstrong, which has the lyrics ‘When you’re smiling the whole world smiles with you.’ Sadly, however, there are some people who resist the urge to smile simply because they are self-conscious about their teeth. They therefore miss that opportunity of making a favourable impression on people they meet which the flash of a wonderful smile can provide. But there is a remedy -  cosmetic dentistry. Mention those two words and most people will flinch, thinking in terms of great expense – ‘it’s only for the well-off, film stars, TV personalities and the like’ – and the difficulty in finding the right clinic for the best possible treatment. This might have been true at one time, but now such treatment is not only more acceptable and accessible, it is also much more affordable. There are purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities available up and down the country, all capable of expert treatment, and patients who have taken the plunge all say that the result is smiles better. So what causes most embarrassment? Yellowing teeth, crooked teeth and missing teeth are the main problem areas.

Teeth Whitening

For discoloured teeth, whitening – or bleaching – has been proved to be the most satisfactory way to vastly improve their appearance. However, while it does have an immediate and striking effect, it has to be said that such a procedure needs to be repeated every so often – usually between one and two years. Even so, it has benefits which people find far outweigh that inconvenience and any additional cost, because teeth whitening brings the confidence of lighting up your features with an attractive smile to show your pleasure or appreciation of someone or something, while at the same time making you look a much more cheerful person to be around. Some patients who have had the treatment insist that it also makes then look years younger!

Dental Veneers

You can achieve the same effect with dental veneers, which have the added bonus of correcting  unsightly chipped, cracked, crooked and misshapen teeth. Such veneers are virtually pain free to fit and there is no need for any grinding down or drilling, as some people imagine. What is more, there are veneers of various shades of white from which to choose. With the veneers the impact is not only immediate, but also permanent.

Clear Braces

Should there be an additional problem of crooked teeth, then many people opt for clear and removable tooth alignment braces, which straighten the teeth in a quick, comfortable and cost-effective way – and are designed so that no one realises that you are wearing them! The result is that your teeth are so improved that you will very quickly be able to produce the kind of lovely smile that you have always yearned for. You can also remove the braces for eating, brushing and flossing. An added benefit is that the subsequent straighter teeth reduce the risk of gum disease and other infections, thus generally improving the health of your mouth.  As clear braces do not require metal wires or bands there is no build-up of plaque resulting from trapped food, either.

Dental Implants

If there are gaps caused by missing teeth then one way to bridge that gap is by having Titanium Dental Implants, the great benefit of which is that the bone is allowed to grow around the implant to create a new tooth root which provides a strong foundation for porcelain crowns which are difficult to tell apart from a natural tooth. An implant takes around half-an-hour, using local anaesthetic in a painless procedure. It can be used to support a single tooth replacement using a porcelain crown or multiple replacements using a bridge. The result once again is an attractive smile – with no more embarrassing gaps.

Fillings

Anyone finding that existing grey fillings still mar the effect of any of the above treatments need not worry, because it is a quick and simple procedure to replace them with white fillings so that everything smile-wise is quite all white.