Taking care of your smile is a life-long journey that may change as you get older. While most people start out with sparkling white teeth when they first come in, all the eating, drinking, and smoking you do over the course of your life adds up. It becomes visible in your smile, along with damage caused by gum disease, decay, or hereditary issues. Cosmetic dentistry gives you a chance to roll back the clock or reverse issues that you’ve had for life. It can also help if an accident or condition leaves you unhappy with the appearance of your teeth. Discover how our services could change your life for the better with just a few visits.

What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

All of the dental treatments that aim to improve the appearance of your teeth rather than their strength or health fall under the umbrella of cosmetic dentistry. Some of the treatments may serve dual purposes, such as crowns designed to restore the look of a tooth while also stabilizing and protecting it. Other procedures, like whitening, are entirely for appearance reasons. You may need other non-cosmetic treatments first to prepare your teeth and deal with underlying issues.

Potential Benefits of a Brighter Smile

Investing in cosmetic treatments does more than just give you a new look. There has been extensive research on the long-term social and psychological effects of improving your smile. People who smile more are considered friendly, outgoing, and welcoming. Feeling more comfortable with the appearance of your teeth encourages you to show them off more often. By boosting your self-esteem and changing your behavior towards others, you might just find yourself with all sorts of new career and personal opportunities.

What Issues Can You Treat with Cosmetic Procedures?

Almost any dental issue that affects the look of your smile has a corresponding cosmetic procedure to treat it. Discoloration is a common complaint among older adults, but younger patients also sometimes have to deal with the issue. If tooth whitening can’t resolve the issue, putting veneers over the surface is the best way to disguise discoloration. It’s a great option for teeth that became discolored due to medication or unknown causes as well.

Other issues often addressed with cosmetic dentistry include:

• Misshapen teeth

• Alignment issues like gaps between teeth

• Chips or cracks, especially along the edges of the teeth

• Overgrown or receded gum tissue.

Options for Smile Makeovers

Porcelain and composite veneers are a good way to cover up discoloration and damage, but they’re not the only option for cosmetic treatment. Tooth whitening treatments are often the first option that a cosmetic dentist will recommend. For other issues, you may need dental bonding that involves coating the surface of the tooth to create the appearance of a smoother and brighter surface. Gum grafts and sculpting procedures have a surprising impact on the look of your smile. When full-sized crowns aren’t needed, partial crowns known as inlays or onlays cover just the damaged parts of the tooth.

Dealing with the Signs of Aging

Many cosmetic issues accumulate over the years thanks to habits like drinking red wine or smoking cigarettes. A routine visit to the cosmetic dentist for whitening and other procedures at least once every decade can reset your smile and help you enjoy a younger appearance. Even when more serious complications come from age like tooth loss, we can help you find partial dentures or dental implants to fill in the gap. There's no need for age to become an excuse for your smile to lose its sparkle. Little chips and cracks tend to accumulate over the years because of damage. Don’t let your smile set assumptions about your age when a few simple cosmetic improvements can make all the difference.

Choosing the Right Cosmetic Dentist

Don't settle for whitening or basic cosmetic treatments from your usual dentist. Choose a specialist with extra training in the latest cosmetic dentistry procedures. Make sure you're comfortable with the whole dental team and feel like you're getting all the answers you need for your questions. If you need a smile makeover with multiple treatments combined for a completely new look, you'll definitely need to choose a team like ours with extra training in the best cosmetic treatments.

Finding a Financing Solution

Unlike many other dental procedures, most cosmetic treatments aren't covered by the average dental insurance plan. You have plenty of options for financing the costs to get the improvements you need on any budget.

Contact us today here at Clio Dental Studios to schedule a consultation with our team. We'll tell you what we can do to improve the look and function of your smile. With a few timely cosmetic treatments, you could have a whole new look in time for a big event.