A person’s smile can impact their overall happiness and wellbeing in many different ways, making them feel self-conscious when doing things as simple as speaking or eating which over time can greatly impact their careers, social lives and relationships.
In contrast, having healthy, straight, white teeth can give a person the confidence to show off their smile, go after their dream career and enjoy socialising and meeting new people.
Cosmetic dental treatments have evolved over the years with innovative new technologies, tools and techniques making them more effective than ever. From whitening and composite bonding to veneers and smile makeovers, there are a number of cosmetic treatment options that can help people achieve the smile they’ve always wanted.
We spoke to an expert cosmetic dentist in Essex to find out the top 10 benefits of cosmetic dentistry.
1. Restore Appearance
The primary objective of cosmetic dental treatments is to improve, enhance and restore the appearance of your teeth and smile. Whether the teeth are chipped, gapped, misshapen or stained, there are a variety of effective cosmetic procedures that can help to improve the aesthetic appearance of teeth and correct or cover imperfections.
2. Increased Confidence
A person’s smile and teeth are very important because we often find ourselves face-to-face with others talking, smiling and interacting. For those who have issues with their smile, this can make such interactions very uncomfortable and leave them feeling extremely self-conscious.
By improving the appearance of your teeth, cosmetic dental treatments can help to shed these insecurities, giving you a smile that you are proud to show off with complete confidence.
3. Better Oral Health
Things like misshapen, misaligned, missing, broken or overcrowded teeth are difficult to keep clean, even with the very best efforts as they can create tight or awkward spaces that are hard to reach.
Cosmetic dentistry can be used to correct these issues and improve alignment, making them easier to brush and floss, reducing the possibility of plaque build-up which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease for much improved oral health.
4. More Youthful Appearance
Your teeth have the ability to add years to your face, especially where they are stained, discoloured, worn or crooked. Cosmetic dental treatments can help to wind back the years using things like veneers or bonding to restore worn teeth, or whitening to deliver a brighter, whiter, more youthful smile. This means that with just one trip to the dentist, you can leave the same day looking years younger than you walked in.
5. Tooth Replacement Solution
A missing, broken or chipped tooth can be a serious problem and impact a person’s ability to eat, speak, chew and smile with confidence. Replacing or repairing damaged or missing teeth can go a long way to restoring your bite, improving your chewing ability and allowing you to smile unhindered.
6. Long Lasting Results
Cosmetic dentistry can provide effective, durable, long-lasting results that if properly cared for can remain intact for years or even decades. The longevity of cosmetic results depends on the individual treatment but things like professional whitening for example can last up to 3 years, much longer than over the counter or cheaper alternatives. Veneers are designed to resist things like stains, chips and discoloration so have the potential to keep your smile intact for around 10 years or longer.
7. Improved Function
When you have issues with your teeth, it can affect your bite and the way you eat, speak or even sleep as well as causing things like stiffness and pain in the neck and jaw, headaches and uneven tooth wear. Correcting your smile imperfections can help to improve your bite and restore the overall function of your teeth, allowing you to laugh, smile, talk and eat without issues.
8. Prevents Further Problems
For those with teeth that are damaged, cracked, chipped or broken, the longer they are left untreated, the greater the chance that the issues will worsen. If this happens then it could result in much more serious and costly dental complications, pain, infection or losing the tooth completely. Cosmetic dentistry such as composite bonding, for example, can help to fix chipped or cracked teeth that over time would worsen if not taken care of.
9. Cost Effective
Whilst cosmetic dental treatments do cost anywhere between a few hundred to thousands of pounds, they can provide fast, long lasting results that over time work out to be extremely cost effective. Most dentists also offer a number of finance and payment plans to help make it more affordable for their patients.
10. Customised Treatment Plans
Cosmetic dentistry doesn’t utilise a one size fits all approach, but instead tailors the treatments to each patient, their unique dental needs and specific aesthetic goals. Working closely with the patient, cosmetic dentists make sure to understand what it is you are hoping to achieve and create a bespoke treatment plan with personalised solutions that will align with your vision and deliver the best results.