Ask the average person about the dental and overall health of cosmetic dentistry, and you’ll likely receive as a response a shrug or something along the lines of “are there any?” Why is this?
For one, most of us are at least somewhat guilty of discounting the emotional and psychological benefits of having a bright, beautiful smile. Secondly, this particular branch of dentistry is done no favors by its name – after all, who really considers the true substance of “cosmetic” anything? Given that cosmetic dentistry, beyond simply appealing to our vanity, can non-invasively improve the position, shape, and alignment of your teeth and make it easier to maintain overall dental health, this is one misconception that really needs to be corrected. And we’re here to do our part by highlighting the most significant, sometimes surprising benefits of cosmetic dentistry.
Provides (or Restores) Your Beautiful Smile
Okay, so, no real surprises here – but we must be careful not to discount the importance of this obvious benefit. Everyone deserves a beautiful smile that they’re proud of and that makes them feel attractive. This feeling of attractiveness – whether the result of simple teeth whitening, veneers, or realignment via Invisalign – can have a major effect on others’ impressions of us. Not to be discounted at all is how significantly a beautiful smile can…
Boost Your Self Confidence
Have you ever worn a suit or a dress that fit and flowed so perfectly that you felt as though you were walking on air? A beautiful smile can have the same effect.
Your smile is one of the first and most important things about you that other people see. If crooked, chipped, cracked, stained, or missing teeth make you self-conscious about flashing your grin, you may hold back from participating socially, even by simply laughing or smiling, potentially impeding professional success. By addressing the problems you have with your smile head-on, cosmetic dentistry can turn what you see as a weakness into a strength by helping you feel not only younger and more attractive but much more confident socially and professionally.
Optimize Your Oral Health
One often overlooked benefit of cosmetic dentistry is just how easy it makes maintaining your overall dental health. Simply put, when your bite is aligned and your teeth have the shape and strength that nature intended, there are fewer tight or hidden spaces in your mouth for bacteria and plaque to accumulate. As an added benefit, when this is the case, correctly brushing and flossing all parts of your mouth is much easier – further reducing your risks of periodontal disease, tooth decay, or any number of other oral health issues.
Improve the Appearance and Integrity of Chipped Teeth
When a tooth chips, it loses both its natural shape and strength. Additionally, the opening created by a chip makes a tooth more susceptible to bacteria, which can lead to tooth decay. Cosmetic dentistry helps by filling the chipped areas – or, in the case of larger chips, placing a crown to cover the entire tooth in order to protect its vulnerable center – both returning your tooth to its original shape and reinforcing it so that more invasive and painful procedures aren’t needed in the future.
Cosmetic Dentistry Helps You Chew More Comfortably and Effectively
One of the most popular treatments in cosmetic dentistry is Invisalign, a treatment program that uses a series of mouthpiece-style aligners to help straighten teeth and correct bite issues – which can cause issues including headaches, soreness, stiffness in the jaw and uneven tooth wear – without the physical discomfort and financial and time commitments of traditional braces.
Moreover, having stronger and more aligned teeth allows for better chewing, which not only properly breaks down food for easier swallowing and digestion but has also been shown to help relieve stress and even regulate cognitive function!
Cosmetic Dentistry Helps You Make the Most of Your Time
Yet another benefit of cosmetic dentistry procedures is that they are generally relatively quick and don’t require long recovery periods. That pretty much says it all.
In most cases, when a procedure is completed, the patient is immediately free to go about the rest of their day – with the benefits already there for the world to see!
In addition, the effects of most cosmetic dental procedures can last a decade or more without the need for retreatment – which will save you time and money over the years on more complex dental treatments.
Cosmetic Dentistry in Maple Ridge, BC
Whether you’ve got crooked, stained, discolored, chipped, cracked, or missing teeth, there is a procedure under the “cosmetic dentistry” umbrella that can restore your smile to its brilliant best, in the process boosting your self-confidence and make it easier for you to maintain your overall dental health in the future.
If you’re in the Maple Ridge, BC area and feel as though a brighter smile would, well, put a smile on your face, rather than simply Googling “cosmetic dentists near me” and taking your chances, contact dentist Dr. Jason Liu and the team at Meadow Ridge Dental to schedule a consultation appointment to learn about the cosmetic dentistry treatments are best suited for you!