Some patients might feel too humiliated to fully smile because of the way their teeth are presented. Whether that is a result of crowded teeth, missing teeth, yellow discoloration, or a broken tooth, several solutions can improve your oral health and return the self-confidence needed to smile. Our team at Olean Dental Studio has looked at a few of the common causes that negatively impact a patient's smile and explained how each one can be corrected.
Teeth Crowding
Teeth crowding is a dental condition that results from insufficient space for your teeth. This can be created by larger teeth, a lack of space in the jaws (the structure of the teeth can be too small for them to grow aligned), or both. After your teeth become crowded, you may notice that they are overlapping (growing in crookedly or failing to grow in), rotated, or staggered in appearance. An easy way to determine an abnormal growth pattern is when the teeth are seemingly not growing in the classic "U" shape that is seen in properly-aligned teeth.
In addition to affecting your smile, crowded teeth can also cause issues for your general health, including jawbone and joint concerns, cavities resulting from the challenge of sufficiently cleaning the teeth, and migraines.
Solution for Teeth Crowding: Braces & Invisalign
Braces are an orthodontic tool that can help with teeth crowding, straightening, and aligning your teeth for a better smile. There are several braces available, consisting of various materials (bands, wires, and other fixed or removable corrective appliances), that our dentists or an orthodontist might have you consider.
Types of Dental Braces used to Treat Teeth Crowding in Florida
Metal Braces
Traditional braces are made of metal, which include brackets that are attached to the front of your teeth or bands that fit around each tooth. Flexible wires or archwires are used to hold the brackets or bands together. Certain braces will also include rubber bands or metal ties that connect the brackets to the wire, offering extra pressure to straighten and align your teeth. Also, your orthodontist could advise you to wear a headgear device at night to provide added pressure for your teeth.
Ceramic Braces
Brackets found in traditional braces are also made of ceramic in a color that resembles the tooth, making them less noticeable when you smile. These brackets can be made of stainless steel, gold, or clear materials.
Lingual Braces
On these types of braces, the brackets are attached to the backs of your teeth and face your tongue. Like ceramic braces, they are tougher to see.
Invisalign
Often referred to as invisible braces, Invisalign consists of clear plastic trays that fit comfortably onto your teeth. They apply pressure to gently shift your teeth into the ideal position and straighten your smile. When you eat, brush, or floss, you will remove the aligners, though you should keep them in for a minimum of 22 hours per day to receive the best results. Your dentist or orthodontist can also place tooth-colored attachments onto your teeth so that the aligners are held in place.
Cosmetic Dentistry at Olean Dental Studio
Missing Teeth
Losing some or all of your natural teeth can stem from gum disease, decay, or injury. If that occurs, you can replace them to improve your smile and ensure that your mouth doesn't sag as well.
Solution for Missing Teeth: Dentures & Dental Implants
Dentures are placed onto your gums and are generally removable, coming in two forms: immediate (a dentist can put them in immediately after removing your teeth) and conventional (these are installed once your gums have completely healed, which could require up to several months).
Types of Dentures for Missing Teeth in Florida
Overdentures
Your dentist will carefully prepare your teeth to be fitted with overdentures rather than entirely removing your teeth. Overdentures will sit on top of your existing teeth or implants, helping you preserve the jawbone and providing additional support for your dentures.
Partial Dentures
You might only require a few spaces to be filled for your smile and certain partial dentures come with replacement teeth attached to a metal framework or a plastic or nylon base. Dentures of this type attach themselves to your teeth with clasps, while others include precision attachments that connect to your natural teeth.
Dental Implants to Repair a Smile with Missing Teeth
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that dentists can utilize to replace one tooth, several teeth, or all of your teeth. Two of the more common types of implants are:
Endosteal Implant
Capable of holding one or more teeth, this option has blades, cylinders, or screws fastened into your jaw.
Subperiosteal Implant
This alternative goes on top of your jawbone and metal posts stick through your gum to hold it in place. If you have an inadequate bone to hold an endosteal implant, then this option could be particularly helpful.
Restorative Dentistry at Olean Dental Studio
Yellow Teeth
Tooth discoloration is another source of embarrassment when patients smile, but you can undo that with a trip to Olean Dental Studio located on Olean Boulevard in Port Charlotte, Florida.
Solution: In-Office Whitening
For quick results, professional teeth whitening at our dental practice is recommended if you wish to whiten your teeth since the product is directly applied to the teeth. Used in combination with heat, a laser, or special light, such products provide results after one treatment. Although multiple appointments are typically needed for the best outcome, you will see great changes after the first visit.
First, you should receive a professional cleaning and mouth examination; then, you can decide if an in-office whitening is still needed. Your dentist will check for any cavities and determine the overall health of your gums during the consultation, treating potential issues before the tooth whitening is applied.
Cosmetic Dentistry at Olean Dental Studio
Broken Tooth
While the enamel that covers your teeth is the toughest, most mineralized tissue within the body, it does have limitations. A forceful hit to the face, a dramatic fall, or biting down on a hard item can easily break your tooth and potentially ruin your smile.
Solution: Dental Veneers
When a front tooth is broken or chipped, a dental veneer can give it a healthy appearance once again. A dental veneer is a thin shell of tooth-colored porcelain or resin composite material that covers the front of the tooth entirely with a thicker section to replace the broken portion of the tooth.
Our dentists at Olean Dental Studio will begin this procedure by removing a small amount of enamel from its surface. Following that step, your dentist will make an impression of the tooth that will be sent to a dental laboratory, which is where the veneer will be made. Once the veneer is ready, which is generally after a week or two, you will return to the dentist and have it installed. Before placing the veneer, your dentist will first etch the surface of the tooth with a liquid to give it a rough texture. Then, your dentist applies a specific cement to the veneer and places the veneer on top of the prepared tooth. Having put the veneer in its position, your dentist will use a special light that will activate the chemicals within the cement and harden it quickly.
Don't let your smile keep you from living your best life
An embarrassing smile can be experienced by all patients due to numerous sets of circumstances, but it can be treated and eventually overcome. Teeth crowding, missing teeth, yellow teeth, and broken teeth all have an unfortunate influence on one's smile. If you are experiencing any of these issues or others that prevent you from smiling in public, contact our group at Olean Dental Studio and learn how you can get your smile back.