Is The Perfect Smile Attainable?

Have you ever wondered how your current smile can be totally transformed here in Chelmsford?

To both of the above questions, we suspect that many of you would say “no way” to the possibility of having a perfect smile. The definition of this is, of course, subjective, but there is probably a general consensus that an ideal smile is one where no teeth are missing, the teeth are straight and also a nice white colour.

The fact that no tooth decay should be present is also a given. There are people whose teeth are fairly close to this and perhaps require just a few ‘tweaks’ to make them near perfect, but this ideal probably feels a long way off for some Chelmsford patients of Blue Sky Dental.

There are many things that we can do at home to make sure our teeth are as attractive as possible, but ultimately, any significant improvement to the teeth will need intervention from a cosmetic dentist to make them attractive again. The degree of improvement attainable will depend on a number of factors including what the patient feels is a significant enough improvement, along with the willingness to undergo various procedures, plus, of course, the cost of the treatments. We can help you with this through our various treatment payment plans.

How to attain an ideal smile

Cosmetic dentistry has come a long way over the years and there are now many treatments available to help you have a great looking smile. There is no ‘one size fits all’ treatment though and you will need to have a consultation with one of our cosmetic dentists to determine the best plan of action for you.

Let us then take a look at three of the most common problems that people have with the appearance of their teeth, and ways that we can help you resolve these problems. Some people may require just one of these treatments while others may require a combination of treatments. This is sometimes also referred to as a ‘smile makeover’.

Tooth discolouration

This is a common problem, especially in our later years. Even younger teeth can be affected by discolouration though. Smoking will certainly stain your teeth and turn them into a shade ranging somewhere between yellow and brown, to say nothing of the more serious risks of smoking, such as mouth cancer. Enamel erosion is unfortunately also on the rise as people consume large amounts of acidic drinks that are also high in sugar. This causes the enamel to erode and a rough surface to be formed. This type of surface enables staining substances to attach themselves more easily. Some foods will stain teeth, such as dark berries, red wine and some soy products. Older people will find that their teeth become discoloured with age. This is a natural part of ageing and is, unfortunately, inevitable.

Treatment for discoloured teeth can be straightforward, and in many cases, our custom ‘at home’ teeth whitening kit will be able to reverse the discolouration and provide you with attractive teeth again. For more badly stained teeth, dental veneers may be a better option. This usually does require a small invasive treatment, but the results are excellent and also long lasting.

Crooked teeth

Even the appearance of perfectly white teeth will be spoiled if they are crooked and uneven. Whilst veneers can occasionally be used to cosmetically improve small ‘defects’; in most cases, the patient will need to have orthodontic treatment.  There are a number of systems available to correct crooked teeth. These include ‘invisible’ trays that fit over your teeth along with more traditional ‘wired’ braces. Even this latter type are much more discreet than old style braces and use tooth coloured wires and brackets to achieve the same aim while being much less visible.

You will need to have a consultation with the orthodontist at our Chelmsford dental clinic to determine the best solution for you. Some people may be required to wear orthodontics for a significant period of time, often a year or more, whilst those that need more minor correction may be able to have their teeth corrected in a much shorter period of time.

Missing teeth

A ‘gappy smile’ is an obvious ‘no no’ when it comes to looking your best. Even a missing tooth towards the rear of the mouth can affect your smile. Whilst a gap at the back of the mouth can’t be seen, a missing tooth means that other teeth can move more easily and other, more visible teeth, may start to become crooked. The most obvious problem with a missing tooth though is when the gap is at the front of the mouth and on show to others when you smile, speak or laugh.

Dentures can be used to complete your teeth, as can a bridge. Both of these have disadvantages though which we have discussed in earlier blogs. In our opinion, the best tooth replacement option available is dental implants. These can be used to replace both individual and multiple missing teeth. Indeed, if you have no teeth on an arch, or only have one or two natural teeth left, an ‘all on 4’ treatment can be used to replace all of the missing teeth, rather than dentures.

The main advantages of implants are that they are long lasting, extremely strong, straightforward to keep clean and won’t move around in your mouth when eating. They do, of course, require minor surgery to place them and we are happy to discuss that and any other aspect of this treatment with you.

Whether a perfect smile is attainable is perhaps a matter for debate, but there is no doubt that very big improvements can be made using either one, or a series of, cosmetic dental procedures. If you would like to see how we can help you rebuild a great looking smile, please call Blue Sky Dental on 01245 211070 and make an appointment to have a consultation with a member of our highly experienced team.