How important is your smile?

Certainly, each individual has a different idea about the importance of different aspects of our appearance. Years ago I had a high school football coach who was, seemingly, exceedingly concerned about our appearance. When we asked him why, he told us that if we feel like we look good, we will perform better. When we look in the mirror now and we like what we see, I truly believe that we will have a better attitude, perform our every day tasks just that much better, and approach others with a more positive outlook. A smile is also an indication of what might lay beneath...are the teeth discolored, are they crooked or crowded, are the gums reddened, are the teeth too small or too big, do the old silver fillings show when you smile, are they uneven or misaligned? For example, crooked teeth are more difficult to clean properly. That can lead to inflammation of the gums and possible loss of bone support (gum disease)...and gum disease has been shown to directly affect heart health. So how important is our smile? Maybe more important than we think!


Who is a good candidate for cosmetic dentistry?

If you have gotten all your adult teeth, starting around age 12, up to Grandma and Grandpa who have no teeth, you are a candidate for cosmetic dentistry. Youngsters get braces mostly to correct deficiencies in their bite but crowding, open spaces and odd angulations are also being corrected to achieve that "Esthetic " smile. Teens and adults might choose Invisalign ( "clear braces ") to straighten out their smile. While correcting crowding and other bite problems with Invisalign is actually more therapeutic, there are obvious cosmetic advantages attached! Whitening, bonding, cosmetic contouring, porcelain facings, crowns and bridges and new dentures to fix that "Andy Gump " look and improve function are all tools in the cosmetic dentist' s kit.