Not all of us have been blessed with a beautiful smile. Some of us have chipped teeth, missing teeth, stained teeth, crooked teeth, low levels of enamel leading to excessive tooth decay, the list goes on. If your problem is with crooked teeth, but you’re afraid of the old-school braces you saw in pictures from your parents’ yearbook, fear not. There are other methods of teeth straightening or teeth covering available today.
To remake your smile, teeth straightening isn’t always the only option. When teeth are beyond hope, or the individual doesn’t necessarily want excessive work done, sometimes, porcelain veneers are the answer to re-gaining that stunning smile.
A cosmetic dentist, orthodontist, or your family dentist will be able to help you explore the options available for teeth straightening, porcelain veneers, implants, bonding, and more. Let’s take a look at what today’s dentists are doing about crooked teeth.
Getting a Smile Makeover
With crowns or porcelain veneers, you could have the perfect smile you’ve always wanted. These are bonded to your natural teeth, instantly giving you a straight, bright, white, perfect set of teeth. This is ideal for the adult who doesn’t want to bother with lengthy orthodontic treatments and procedures, but still wants to do something about agony they feel over misaligned, crooked, or crowded teeth.
Smile makeovers can be accomplished, depending on the problem involved, with a number of procedures by your cosmetic dentist. Some of these can include the following:
- Cosmetic bonding
- Dental implants
- Gum treatment
- Teeth whitening
- Porcelain veneers
Straightening Today’s Crooked Teeth
You’ve got to love modern technology. Thanks to the advancements made in the world of dentistry, the old-school braces that mom and dad suffered through are no longer necessary in many cases. Clear aligners, the most popular of which is Invisalign, can be used for patients you have crowded, crooked teeth. This is especially applicable if the crowded and crooked teeth are towards the front of the person’s mouth. There are no metal brackets or wires involved, so that comfort and aesthetics end up being a real selling point with this type of teeth straightening method.
In extreme cases, where the clear aligners cannot be used, it may be necessary to go to more advanced methods. Only your dentist can tell you for sure which method will be most applicable in your unique situation.
Once Your Teeth Are Straightened…
Whether you went through the trouble of an advanced treatment with extreme braces, or utilized today’s state-of-the-art clear aligners, once your teeth have been straightened and look fantastic, is the treatment over? No. Teeth that have been straightened through orthodontic treatment need the proper maintenance and care to remain as beautiful as they are following treatment. Many individuals find success by wearing a retainer. If you don’t wear a retainer, a relapse is a possibility for certain individuals. And who wants to go through the cost and trouble of re-straightening their teeth after they’ve already had it done once?
If you have crooked teeth, and you’re ready to do something about it, talk to your family dentist, orthopedist, or cosmetic dentist today. Thanks to modern technology and advancements in dentistry, it is easier, less painful, and (in some cases) less visually displeasing to straighten teeth with today’s new and improved treatments and methods.