A smile makeover can help you make a big improvement to your smile, but it isn’t always easy to know which one to choose. In fact, the best smile makeover for you will depend on factors like your desired results and budget. But how do you know which one of these procedures will get you your ideal smile? This article will explain some of the main types of smile makeovers so that you can decide which approach is best for you.
Smile Width
Cosmetic dentistry (aka smile makeovers) is fast becoming one of our most popular procedures. Simply put, a smile makeover involves changing your smile in some way so that it looks healthier and more beautiful. The main two ways we do that are with crowns and veneers. A crown procedure involves covering up damaged teeth by placing a porcelain cap over them. Veneers are very thin pieces of porcelain that we place over your teeth to hide damage or unsightly spots on them. Both can be incredibly effective in creating a beautiful, healthy-looking smile.
Porcelain Veneers
Veneers are made of porcelain that is permanently bonded to a tooth using composite resin. Porcelain veneers require no grinding of teeth and leave healthy, tooth-colored enamel intact. What’s more, they can fix a variety of cosmetic dental problems caused by structural defects in teeth or even your bite. Porcelain veneers are the perfect smile makeover for patients who have crooked teeth or misshapen jaws; they help you both functionally and cosmetically! Because they use our very own teeth as a base, it’s possible to camouflage staining or cracks in your natural smile. When properly maintained and cleaned, you could go years without needing to replace them!
Dental Implants
When it comes to smile makeovers, there’s little debate about which treatment option leads to a long-lasting and healthy new smile. Dental implants fuse an implant made of titanium into your jawbone. The dental implant itself supports a prosthetic tooth or teeth. This allows for a permanent fix that will stay with you for life. Dental implants are considered one of the top 10 most life-changing medical advancements by CBS News. And though they do require minor surgery and cost more than other treatments, many people think they’re worth it—especially since studies show that dental implants can improve quality of life measures like confidence and self-esteem.
In fact, a recent study showed that 70 percent of patients who received dental implants were very satisfied with their appearance compared to just 40 percent who had crowns placed on their natural teeth. In terms of biological width, a single gold crown adds 0.6mm to each side of your smile; placing four crowns adds 2mm; eight adds 4mm; 16 adds 8mm; 32 adds 16mm; 64 adds 32mm. While some people might not notice much difference between a wide and narrow smile at first glance, when considering overall health factors such as bite strength and appearance over time, more may be better in terms of biological width. So if you’re looking for healthier teeth but still want those bright white Hollywood smiles, consider choosing implants over other cosmetic dentistry options!
Dentures
Your teeth and jawbone have naturally hollowed out over time, and your dentist will create dentures that fit into those spaces to restore your mouth’s shape. Dentures can be made from a variety of materials—including plastic, metal, or acrylic—and each has pros and cons. Acrylic dentures are affordable and easy to clean but tend to wear quickly. Metal dentures may be more expensive but they’re sturdy and don’t stain like acrylic can. And although some people believe that plastic is sturdier than metal or acrylic.
Facial Aesthetics
When someone’s teeth and lips aren’t proportionate to their facial features, it can give them a disproportional appearance. This can have a negative impact on self-esteem, which can lead to confidence issues. A dental professional may perform simple procedures to balance out your biological width. Common procedures include increasing or decreasing lip size or moving your teeth inwards or outwards as needed.
Expensive vs. Cheaper Procedures
Cheap doesn’t always mean better value. Oftentimes, what looks like an extreme discount is actually an equally dangerous discount: if a provider or procedure offers significant discounts to attract new patients, it can actually be a red flag that should be taken seriously. For example, in dentistry we are taught that dental materials like porcelain crowns can cost between $100 and $300 each; a $200 price tag may seem appealing but keep in mind that cheaper does not necessarily mean better when it comes to biological width (the minimum amount of tooth structure needed for a crown to support itself). In fact, you might end up spending more because you’ll need two or three crowns instead of one!
