Many people have some aspect of their smile they’re not happy with. Whether it’s stained, crooked, damaged or missing teeth, prominent gums or wrinkles, aesthetic concerns can have a real impact on someone’s self-confidence and quality of life. Some of these issues may also be more than cosmetic, also affecting the health and function of teeth.
If there’s something or several things you’d like to change about your smile, you can talk to a cosmetic dentist about a smile makeover. This is a comprehensive treatment plan developed by you and your dentist that may involve one or multiple treatments and is designed to enhance your appearance, address any other issues, and help you smile with confidence.
Read on to find out what’s involved in a smile makeover and what cosmetic dentistry treatments interest you. If you want to talk to a Gold Coast dentist about your options, contact our friendly team at Robina Town Dental today on 07 5575 9100 or book online.
How can a smile makeover help?
A smile makeover covers all aspects of dental appearance. You could benefit from smile makeover treatments if you want to address problems like:
- Stained or discoloured teeth
- Short, uneven or misshapen teeth
- Chipped, cracked or worn-down teeth
- Crooked, crowded or misaligned teeth
- Missing teeth or gaps in your smile
- “Gummy” smile
- Wrinkles or loose skin around your mouth
Your dentist will listen to your concerns and explain what solutions are available during your consultation. They’ll also help you to set realistic expectations of what can be achieved with different treatments and will make sure you’re fully informed about the costs and any possible risks so you can make decisions you’re happy with.
What to expect from your smile makeover
A smile makeover can be as simple or as complex as your needs. Skilled dentists understand how every aspect of your smile works together and can work with you to develop the most effective treatment plan to address all your concerns.
Your treatment plan will detail the order of treatments, which will be carefully sequenced based on recovery times and your availability. Using the latest technologies, you will be able to preview the possible results that can be achieved with different approaches and modify your final smile design.
After your treatments, your dentist will provide follow-up appointments to check your progress and recovery and instruct you about how to take care of your new smile for the best long-term results.
What's included in a smile makeover?
A smile makeover may be relatively simple or complex, depending on how many treatments you choose. Your dentist will carefully plan your treatments by considering how they complement each other and may coordinate with other professionals to help you achieve the results you desire.
Cosmetic and restorative treatments that are often included in a smile makeover include:
- Teeth whitening
- Dental veneers
- Dental bonding
- Dental crowns
- Bridges and implants
- Invisible aligners
- Cosmetic injections
Read more about each of these treatments below.
Teeth whitening
The most common complaint people have with their teeth is stains or discolouration turning them yellow, brown or other shades. Stains caused by food and drink or smoking can often be effectively treated with teeth whitening. This involves carefully applying bleaching chemicals to the teeth to remove pigments and enhance their natural brightness by several shades.
Whitening treatments may be provided by dentists in the chair or may be carried out at home using a customised kit your dentist provides. In-chair whitening offers faster and more predictable results in a single appointment, while home whitening involves a series of treatments over 1 to 2 weeks and is reliant on patient compliance to succeed.
Not all types of tooth discolouration can be treated by whitening, however. If your teeth have been darkened by trauma, medication or other causes, your dentist can discuss alternatives such as veneers. Fillings, crowns and other dental restorations also aren’t affected by whitening treatments and may need to be replaced if you want them to match your new smile.
Dental veneers
Veneers are a versatile cosmetic treatment for altering the appearance of teeth. Made from materials like composite resin and porcelain, veneers are custom made to give your teeth the shade, shape, size and alignment you want, though they aren’t suitable for more severe misalignment or missing teeth.
Veneers could be an option if you have tooth discolouration that can’t be treated with teeth whitening or if you want to correct minor misalignment without the time commitment of braces or aligners. If your teeth are too worn or damaged to support a veneer, your dentist may suggest a crown as an alternative.
Porcelain veneers cost more than composite veneers, but they also look more like natural teeth and last twice as long on average. Your dentist can explain the different veneer options and their pros and cons to help you decide whether they’re right for you.
Dental bonding
If you only need to cover up minor imperfections on your teeth, your dentist may be able to apply composite resin to rebuild worn or damaged areas, even out the edges, or patch over stains, small cracks or other blemishes. If a larger surface area needs treating, your dentist may recommend a composite veneer or crown.
Dental crowns
If a tooth is more severely decayed, damaged or worn down, your dentist may suggest covering it with a crown sculpted to look like a natural tooth. Crowns can also be used for more aesthetic reasons like altering a tooth’s shape or increasing its size, which may sometimes help to correct bite issues.
Placing a crown first involves reducing a tooth in size and taking an impression that’s used to design your custom crown. This may be made externally in a dental laboratory, which can take a week or more, or it may be milled during a single visit if the dental clinic uses CEREC technology to offer same-day crowns.
Crowns may also be used if you’re having another procedure, such as to seal a tooth following root canal therapy or to support a dental bridge on either side.
Bridges and implants
Missing teeth can leave noticeable gaps in your smile, but they can also cause other problems, from impacting on eating and speech to deterioration of the jaw bone, which can result in a prematurely aged appearance. If you want to replace missing teeth, your dentist might suggest a bridge supported by crowns or implants.
A dental bridge is a prosthetic that can replace one or more teeth in a row. Unlike dentures, bridges are fixed in the mouth and can only be removed by a dentist. Bridges are made from the same natural-looking materials as crowns and are usually supported by crowns fitted over the neighbouring teeth.
If you want more support for a bridge or dentures, you might consider dental implants. These are titanium posts that are surgically implanted in the jaw to function like teeth roots. This means they offer more support and stronger biting forces for replacement teeth, as well as supporting the jaw bone and preventing bone loss.
Invisible aligners
If your teeth aren’t as straight as you’d like, but you don’t like the thought of braces, clear aligners such as Invisalign® are a more discreet alternative. These aligners are made from a special transparent plastic that’s virtually invisible in the mouth and designed to fit comfortably over your teeth while exerting gentle pressure to shift them into a better alignment over time.
Another advantage of clear aligners over braces is that they can be taken out when you eat and clean your teeth, so you won’t have to worry about avoiding certain foods or struggling to brush and floss. This also means they require a high level of patient compliance however, and you must be committed to wearing the aligners for at least 22 hours a day if you want to achieve your desired results.
Invisalign® and other clear aligner systems can be an option for most minor to moderate alignment issues, but more severe misalignment may still need the stronger force of braces.
Cosmetic injections
To complete a smile makeover, some dentists are qualified to provide cosmetic injections in targeted areas of the face. These treatments may restrict the movement of muscles or restore lost volume to the lips or face, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and tightening loose or sagging skin to help restore a more youthful appearance.
Your dentist can tell you what cosmetic injections they offer and what risks may be involved so you can decide if they’re right for you.
Book a cosmetic consultation today
Ready to take the first step to your new smile? Get in touch with our experienced cosmetic dentists at Robina Town Dental to discuss your options and start creating your personal treatment plan. We also offer flexible payment plans to help you manage the cost of treatments.
Call us today on 07 5575 9100 or contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. We welcome patients from all nearby suburbs including Burleigh Heads, Mudgeeraba, Miami, Varsity Lakes, Burleigh Waters, Merrimac, Mermaid Waters, Worongary and Clear Island Waters.