Who really needs cosmetic dentistry? After all, it’s cosmetic, right? That means it’s for cosmetic purposes, not because you medically need it. True, cosmetic dentistry — teeth whitening, teeth straightening, and gum shaping aren’t usually health issues, but how you feel about your teeth and your smile actually do have an important effect on your self-image, the way your project yourself, and ultimately your relationships. Teeth are very interesting because they are necessary for physical health — to be able to eat the things that keep us alive. And they are also a part of our mental and emotional world as well — we show them to others in the form of a smile, for instance. Our Chula Vista dental office sees many people who are interested in having both good oral health and attractive, beautiful smiles.
The longing to have a beautiful smile is natural. Given the choice, wouldn’t we all choose to have a smile with healthy, well-aligned, white teeth? A recent British study even suggests that having straight, white teeth is more attractive to the opposite sex. When we don’t have a smile we are happy with, whether we are fully aware of it or not, over time we may be inadvertently shying away from smiling, from showing our true happiness, and losing out on the joy of sharing our emotions. We may be projecting our discontent, without wanting to or really be aware of it.
Crooked or missing teeth also have effects that are not life threatening but that are undesirable. Crooked teeth make cleaning difficult, raising the possibility of causing tooth decay. Missing teeth leave room for other teeth to shift and change your bite, which in turn can have unwanted consequences for your oral and overall health. They can also make your face look wrinkled or collapsed due to lack of facial muscle support.
Whether cosmetic dentistry is medically necessary or not, it may be necessary for you. You may have crooked teeth, stained or discolored teeth, teeth that are wearing down from age, missing teeth that are causing changes in your facial support muscles and causing you to have wrinkles or a caved in smile. Perhaps with age your gum line is making your teeth look shorter or uneven. Whatever the case, there are cosmetic dentistry techniques that can change this. For a detailed discussion of possibilities see our Custom Smile Design hub.
Feeling good about yourself comes from different arenas in life — personal relationships, professional success, and good health among others. Feeling attractive and proud of your smile is one of them too.
For more information about this important form of dentistry, give us a call at 619 421 2155. We are happy to help you with any of your questions.