How to Get a Better Looking Smile
5 minute read
Most of us have aspects of our appearance we’re not entirely happy with, even if no one else notices. If you’re not satisfied with your smile, you can talk to your dentist to find out what treatments they have that could help you make the changes you want.
Whether you want to whiten or straighten teeth or make other adjustments, your dentist can discuss all the treatments that could be suitable and give you all the information you need to decide what’s best for you.
Cosmetic dentistry treatments
Cosmetic dentistry covers a wide range of surgical and non-surgical treatments that can be tailored by your dentist to address the specific issues you have with your dental appearance. It’s important that you choose a dentist who is qualified and experienced in providing cosmetic dentistry and who you feel you can trust to design your new smile.
These treatments may be entirely about appearance or they could also have functional benefits if an issue is also causing discomfort or affecting your oral health or general health. You will normally need to be free from gum disease and other oral health problems before a cosmetic procedure can begin, as this could affect the outcome. The easiest way to look after smile is to maintain an oral hygiene routine that includes brushing twice a day, flossing daily and keeping six-monthly dental check-ups.
The most common cosmetic treatments in Australia are:
- Teeth whitening
- Teeth straightening
- Repairing damaged teeth
- Replacing missing teeth
- Reshaping teeth and gums
- Dental veneers
Read more about these treatments below or call us today on (08) 9495 7999 to book a consultation with our Kelmscott dentists.
Teeth whitening
The most common cosmetic issue with teeth is yellowing or other discolouration. This may be caused by staining pigments in food and drink (such as tea and coffee, red wine or dark sauces), tobacco use, or simply natural ageing and a lifetime of wear and tear.
Avoiding sources of stains and following good oral hygiene every day can help your teeth to stay whiter for longer. However, if your teeth have already discoloured, your dentist could suggest teeth whitening using bleaching gels applied carefully to the teeth. These treatments are only effective at removing some types of discolouration and they won’t work on fillings, crowns or prosthetic teeth, so your dentist may recommend other options in these cases.
Teeth whitening may be provided by an experienced dentist at their clinic, or you may prefer to use a take-home whitening kit and follow your dentist’s instructions. Professional whitening using UV light is faster and can produce more satisfying results, but it also costs more than home teeth whitening.
It’s not recommended that you use generic whitening products bought from stores, as these may lead to uneven or disappointing results without a custom made tray. The risks will also be greater if your treatment isn’t supervised by a dentist. These can include chemical burns if the whitening gel spills and comes into contact with your gums or other soft tissues.
At Kelmscott Dental, we offer both in-chair and at-home whitening kits, in fact, the best whitening results are often obtained using a combination of both in-chair whitening and home kits to maintain whiteness after you leave the practice.
Teeth straightening
Teeth that are crooked or otherwise out of alignment could affect your appearance or lead to other problems, such as difficulty eating or speaking, teeth grinding or jaw pain. Your dentist can examine your teeth and jaws to let you know what teeth straightening options you could benefit from, or they may refer you to a specialist orthodontist if you have a more complex orthodontic issue.
Teeth straightening traditionally involves wearing fixed braces that gradually move the teeth into a new alignment, but new alternatives are now available for adults who want to avoid the look and feel of braces. This includes Invisalign® treatment, which uses clear, removable aligners that are virtually invisible when worn.
Orthodontics can be a long-term commitment, as it takes time to move your teeth and jaws, but some treatments can offer faster results, such as Smilefast braces which can correct some alignment issues in 6 months. To find out more about teeth straightening and Invisalign costs at Kelmscott Dental, book a consultation today.
Invisalign® aligners are a registered medical device. Always read the label and follow instructions for use from your dentist.
Repairing damaged teeth
Chipped or worn down teeth can leave you with an unbalanced smile. They can also lead to problems with eating or speech and make your teeth more vulnerable to further damage and decay, so your dentist will recommend treatments to restore their strength and appearance.
Treatment options depend on the type and extent of damage to your tooth. Cavities and minor damage may be repaired by tooth bonding with a composite resin or placing a white filling. More extensive rebuilding can be achieved by cementing a crown over the top of the tooth.
Crowns, fillings and other restorations can be made from natural-looking porcelain or composite resin, which can be matched to your natural tooth colour for a seamless finish. If you have old silver fillings that are visible when you smile, you can ask your dentist whether they offer safe amalgam removal and replacement to make your fillings less noticeable.
Replacing missing teeth
Gaps in your smile may also affect your oral health if they make it harder to brush and floss or if the teeth around the gap become crooked without support. If you’ve lost one or more teeth in an accident or due to severe tooth decay or gum disease, your dentist can discuss the options to replace it and restore your smile.
Dental implants restore teeth all the way down to the root, which gives more support to the prosthetic tooth and also supports the jaw bone. Placing an implant is a surgical procedure and costs more than the alternatives, but once placed, an implant can last up to a lifetime with good care. Implants can support a fixed bridge or a removable denture (known as an implant-retained dentures or overdentures).
Other options include a dental bridge, which is fixed in place between healthy teeth, and removable full or partial dentures. These can be more affordable than implants and don’t involve oral surgery, but they don’t support the jaw bone like implants can, which could lead to deterioration of the bone and jaw shrinking over time.
Dental implants at Kelmscott Dental are provided by our experienced dentist Dr David Norcross, who has 13 years’ experience in implant dentistry. Learn more about dental implant treatment, by visiting our dedicated website Perth Dental Implant Centre.
Reshaping teeth and gums
If you feel that any of your teeth are too long, too short or misshapen, an experienced cosmetic dentist can design a custom treatment plan to bring balance to your smile. This may involve removing excess tooth enamel or crown lengthening or expanding teeth with composite resin or porcelain restorations.
A smile makeover may also include aesthetic treatments, such as laser treatments to remove excess gum tissue and recontouring the gum line.
Dental veneers
One of the most versatile dental treatments, composite or porcelain veneers can be placed over teeth to change their appearance. These may be suggested by dentists as an option for correcting many different cosmetic issues, including whitening, minor straightening, changing the size or shape of teeth or covering up chips, cracks and other blemishes.
Dental veneers may be custom made from porcelain and bonded to the tooth or sculpted directly on the tooth from composite resin and then hardened. Porcelain veneers are stronger and a closer match to natural tooth enamel, but they also cost more to produce and purchase. However, they usually last longer than composite veneers, so won’t need to be replaced so early.
To prepare your teeth for veneers, your dentist will first remove a thin layer of tooth enamel before the veneer can be glued in place over the front of the tooth.
How much does cosmetic dentistry cost?
Your dentist will be able to provide you with treatment plan quote so you can decide what’s suitable for your budget. Treatment costs depend on the type of treatment, the number of teeth being treated and various other factors. Your dentist may only be able to give you an accurate quote after they have examined your teeth, gums and jaws.
Some restorative treatments such as tooth bonding, fillings and crowns may be covered by health funds if your insurance includes general dental cover. However, strictly cosmetic treatments such as whitening, veneers and clear aligner treatments are not usually covered by private health insurance.
- Composite veneers from $500 and porcelain veneers range from $1500 per tooth
- Teeth whitening $1299 for in-chair whitening plus a take-home kit $400
- Tooth bonding starts from $520 per tooth, based on a single surface repair
- Invisalign® clear aligner treatment starts from $7000
- Single dental implants to replace a damaged or missing tooth from $4420
At Kelmscott Dental, we offer flexible payment plans including Zip and Afterpay to help you access treatment.
Book a cosmetic consultation in Kelmscott and Armadale
Our dentists at Kelmscott Dental are experienced in a full range of cosmetic dentistry treatments. When you visit us for a consultation, we’ll make sure we understand your smile goals and concerns so we can recommend the most suitable treatments to help you achieve the smile you want.
If you want to know more about our cosmetic treatments at Kelmscott Dental or you’re ready to book a consultation, call our team today on (08) 9495 7999 or book online. Our dentists in Kelmscott also service Armadale, Gosnells and surrounding suburbs.
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