A smile makeover is one of those things in dentistry that is attracting many people. The idea of having the prettiest smile in the room is intriguing for many. Still, very few understand that many oral activities may be necessary to realize the kind of smile you desire.
What Are Smile Makeovers?
They are dental activities and processes done to prove the appearance of smiles. Makeovers entail dental procedures and treatments that alter the size, shape, color, or overall appearance of smiles. To qualify as a makeover, the procedures must all work in sync to accomplish the desired dental goal. Ideally, you approach a cosmetic dentist near you with the ideal smile you would want, and then the dentist determines the best treatments for your transformation.
Depending on the underlying dental problems you have vis-à-vis the dental goals you have, you may require multiple procedures for the complete transformation. This means that some patients get their transformation completed within a few hours, while others have to wait for a bit longer to see their results.
6 Types of Procedures Involved in Smile Transformations
The best smile makeover dentist near you will tell you that sometimes it takes multiple dental processes to achieve excellence in cosmetic dentistry. Some of the procedures you can expect include:
- Dental bonding – they are dental procedures that involve attaching a dental material or appliance to your teeth. The procedures are performed to repair damaged teeth and improve their appearance. For such procedures to be completed, a dentist in Crestwood may install dental crowns, dental veneers, composites, to mention a few. Dental bonding can improve the color, shape, size, and overall glare of your teeth.
- Teeth whitening – involve procedures that whiten and brighten teeth. The whitening of your teeth can be done directly on your teeth, or involve the use of oral appliances as is the case with dental bonding. Direct whitening will involve bleaching the enamel of your teeth with special whitening products to remove stains. Alternatively, dental veneers, Lumineers, composites, and sometimes dental crowns can be used to cover the stained teeth. These appliances are used when patients prefer them, but also when there are very stubborn stains to be removed through direct bleaching.
- Dental reshaping – they were procedures performed to reshape the sizes and shapes of teeth. Dental reshaping can be done for patients with cracked and broken teeth, unusually short teeth, misshapen teeth, to mention a few. The procedures involve attaching different oral appliances to repair the size or shapes of teeth.
- Tooth restorations – these procedures are particular for patients who have lost their natural teeth. The restorations are performed using different oral appliances, based on the preferences of patients. Some of the materials used to replace missing teeth include dentures, dental bridges, and dental implants. Some solutions are more permanent than others, but they all work to restore your smile by replacing lost teeth.
- Dental alignments – they entail dental treatments that help reposition and straighten teeth in the mouth. For the most part, orthodontic treatments are performed to achieve this goal. However, in some cases, a patient may not be willing to wait months before their smile is fully transformed. For such, other alternatives are used. For example, dental veneers can be applied to close spaces between teeth. Other treatments like dental extractions can help treat overcrowding. However, some patients may only benefit from wearing braces for a certain period if they want to transform the appearance of their smile. This is very specific for patients who have complex cases of malocclusion so that there isn’t a quick fix for their problem.
- Cosmetic gum surgeries – during dental makeovers, sometimes the focus is on the gum tissues more than teeth. Problematic gums can alter the appearance of your smile. Some patients, for instance, have gummy smiles. This is when too much of the gum tissue shows when you smile. The treatment done to correct this issue is called gum reduction surgery. The cosmetic dentist will re-sculpt your gums by removing any excess tissues. On the other hand, some patients suffer from a very high gum line. This happens when the gums recede, especially when you have an infection thereof. For treatment, the dentist works to reduce the pocket holes formed, and recreate the lost gum tissue. This is done through a process called gum grafting surgery, which involves using gum grafts from other parts of your mouth.
