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How Can I Get a “Perfect” Smile?

At Designer Smiles, we create beautiful smiles.  We maintain a philosophy that there is no such thing as one version of a “perfect” smile due to the variety of opinions on what makes smiles beautiful.  Our goal is to create a smile that is “perfect” in the eyes of each individual patient.  We work to communicate with you and understand your specific goals.

That being said, there are some factors that are essential for a smile to be considered “perfect”.  Rather than discuss the variety of opinions on what makes a smile perfect, we will discuss these factors that must be present for a smile to be perfect, regardless of its outward appearance.

A Perfect Smile is a Healthy Smile

No matter how good a smile looks, it cannot be perfect if there is active dental disease present.  So our first criterion for a perfect smile is that it must be a healthy smile.  This means that each individual tooth must be free of cavities and cracks (or repaired and restored).  It also includes the necessity of a healthy foundation around each tooth.

Dental diseases, when left untreated, get progressively worse over time.  Cavities grow larger, destroying more and more natural tooth structure.  Cracks spread deeper and deeper into the teeth.  Gum disease worsens, leading to a loss of the attachment of the supporting tissues around the teeth.  Because this is true, the first step in the journey toward a perfect smile is always stopping any active dental disease.

Even if your heart is set on recreating your smile with a full set of white porcelain veneers, we must stop any active disease first.  If we did not, you would invest a lot of money in treatment that is destined for failure.  It would be like adding beautiful hand-scraped wood floors onto a cracked and shifting foundation of your home.

A Perfect Smile is an Aligned Smile

Straight teeth are always healthier than crooked teeth.  The way the teeth are aligned and the way they bite together has a major impact on the health of the mouth.  Scientific research studies show that crooked teeth actually collect more dangerous, disease-causing bacteria than straight teeth do.  The crowding of teeth provides more hiding spots for dental plaque that are more difficult to clean.  There is more dental plaque, and it contains different bacteria.

Teeth with spaces or gaps between them also have a higher risk for dental problems.  The spaces often collect food debris when eating, leading to damage to the gum tissues underneath.

Proper alignment of the teeth also includes the way the upper and lower teeth bite together.  In a “perfect” smile, the upper teeth will fit just over the lower teeth like a lid on a box.  The bite should allow for even biting pressure on all of the back teeth to properly distribute the forces of chewing.  This protects against cracked teeth and gum recession.

A Perfect Smile is a Complete Smile

A smile cannot be perfect if teeth are missing.  (We don’t include wisdom teeth in this statement!)  Many people think that it’s okay to lose a back tooth “because you can’t see it anyway”.  Unfortunately, this kind of thinking undervalues the importance of the back teeth in the chewing process.  When you lose just one molar, the other back teeth must bear more of the chewing burden than they should.

A missing tooth is not just a functional problem, either.  Most missing teeth are noticeable when you laugh or smile widely.  The teeth around a missing tooth can shift into the space, causing alignment problems.

A Perfect Smile is a White Smile

Teeth are naturally white.  They may not be as white as many people achieve today, but they also are not naturally as dark as many people experience through the staining of coffee, tea, tobacco and red wine intake.  A perfect smile will be free of noticeably dark staining or discoloration.

Teeth should be the same color in relation to each other.  It is unsightly and eye-catching when a tooth does not blend in with its neighbors.  Often this is due to unmatched dental work or a tooth that has “died” from an old injury.  A mismatched tooth stands out.

So How Can I Get this Perfect Smile?

We would love to help you achieve this type of perfect smile!  Our goal is for everyone who enters our office to have a smile he or she loves and shows off proudly.

To achieve a healthy smile, simply commit to seeing us regularly and caring for your teeth at home.  When you have a consistent routine in your home care oral hygiene and in seeing the dentist regularly, it is unlikely that dental disease will run rampant.  We will help you catch any problem areas in their earliest stages and stop the disease process.

To achieve an aligned smile, you can consider orthodontic treatment.  In our office, we have made hundreds of smiles beautiful and aligned using clear aligner therapy with Invisalign.  If Dr. Ann determines that Invisalign will not achieve the desired alignment, she may refer you to an orthodontist to discuss your other options for straightening your teeth.

To achieve a complete smile, you must consider replacing missing teeth.  The best way to replace missing teeth is to restore them with dental implants.  A dental implant is as close as we can get to a natural tooth and is the only tooth replacement option that replaces the entire tooth, including the root!

To achieve a white smile, you can undergo teeth whitening.  We offer the most predictable and effective teeth whitening through customized whitening trays and professional teeth whitening gel.  Dr. Ann will give you specific recommendations on getting the fastest and best results to brighten your smile.

More Questions about the Perfect Smile?

Call Designer Smiles today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ann.  She can answer any questions you have, assess your current situation, and help you take the right steps toward achieving your perfect smile as soon as possible!