Your smile is how you relate to the world. Discolored, uneven, worn, chipped, and damaged teeth can make you want to hide from photos, hold back when you laugh, and avoid speaking in public.
Feeling confident in your smile can be life changing. Imagine smiling confidently in photos with your family and friends. A beautiful smile can also significantly improve your job prospects, helping you speak with authority in professional situations.
If you’ve ever wondered if you could have a dream smile, this complete guide to cosmetic dentistry smile makeovers will give you an inside look at how Dr. Dunn and our team at Lake Baldwin Dental can help you love your smile for life!
What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is an approach to oral care that blends art and dental healthcare to perfect the esthetics of your smile. Technically, cosmetic procedures aren’t considered restorative and don’t fix functional problems or improve your dental health. At least that’s how dental insurance companies draw the line.
In reality, many cosmetic dentistry treatments also repair damage and help stabilize your dental health. If you’re considering a smile makeover, we’ll create a completely customized treatment plan that will blend cosmetic and restorative treatments to give you the best possible results for the look and function of your teeth.
Let’s take a look at what tooth problems cosmetic dentistry can fix.
Is Cosmetic Dentistry Right for Me?
Cosmetic dentistry casts a wide net. It can describe a simple approach to fixing subtle issues or a complete overhaul of your entire set of teeth.
Some common problems that can be solved with cosmetic dentistry include:
- Dark, stained, or discolored teeth.
- Worn or short teeth.
- A gummy smile.
- Chipped, cracked, or broken teeth.
- Thin or transparent teeth.
- An uneven smile.
- An uneven gum line.
- Developmental problems that affect the look of your teeth.
- Undersized or misshapen teeth.
Your smile makeover will probably include more than the purely cosmetic. Because we take a comprehensive approach to creating your dream smile, at Lake Baldwin Dental your smile makeover in Orlando, FL might also include:
- Replacing missing teeth.
- Correcting bite disharmony.
- Orthodontic treatment to improve the alignment of your teeth.
- Periodontal surgery like gum grafting to cover exposed root surfaces.
- Other restorative procedures that can improve the look as well as the function of your smile.
Because we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to cosmetic dentistry, your smile makeover will probably include a combination of several different types of treatments, depending on your goals and oral health needs.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common cosmetic dentistry treatments and how they can give you a dream smile!
What Are the Most Common Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments Used in Smile Makeovers?
No two smiles are the same and you deserve options as unique as you are. We’re proud to offer a full range of treatment options to address a wide variety of needs.
Veneers
Dental veneers are thin shells of durable, natural-looking material that fits over the front surfaces of your teeth. Veneer teeth can correct a wide range of smile zone problems including:
- Discoloration that can’t be fixed with whitening, like internal stain from certain antibiotics.
- An uneven smile due to mismatched teeth.
- Undersized or misshapen teeth.
- Teeth that are short, severely worn, or eroded.
- Small gaps or misalignments.
Porcelain veneers make a durable, beautiful option, but advances in dental materials have improved by leaps and bounds. With full ceramic zirconia, you’ll get veneer teeth that look completely natural, with shine, translucency, and opacity that’s as close to your own enamel as possible. Only better!
Crowns
Unlike porcelain veneers, dental crowns completely cover a tooth. Because they are more structurally sound, they tend to last longer and have better functionality than veneers.
Crowns can treat cosmetic problems as well as health issues including cracked and broken teeth and deep cavities.
Composite Resin
Composite resin is a durable, tooth-colored material we use in dental fillings. It’s a great option for repairing damage to your front teeth without compromising the look of your smile.
If you’re looking for a less permanent, less involved, or less expensive option than porcelain veneers, we can sometimes use composite resin to compensate for certain smile zone flaws. For example, we can sometimes add volume to narrow or undersized teeth using resin.
This is usually only recommended as a temporary step in specific cases, such as young patients who aren’t ready for permanent veneers just yet. Because it doesn’t have the same durability or natural esthetics as porcelain or ceramic, it’s not a true alternative to veneers or crowns.
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is one of the most common cosmetic dentistry procedures. It’s easy, completely noninvasive, and fast. In fact, you could have whiter teeth in just one visit with in-office professional tooth whitening in Orlando, FL!
Professional tooth whitening brightens your smile by gently breaking up dark compounds deep in the tooth structure. Professional tooth whitening can remove stains as well as brightening the natural shade of your teeth.
Whitening is often a great first step to a smile makeover. By getting your teeth as white as possible before we make your crowns or veneers, we can match any restorations to your brightest smile.
Other Key Parts of Your Cosmetic Dentistry Plan
You deserve a smile you feel proud of. We want to give you the best results that will last as long as possible. That’s why we work with a team of highly skilled specialists who can give your smile advanced care.
For example, an orthodontist can correct an uneven bite or misaligned teeth to ensure your restorations don’t get damaged or worn down. A periodontist can replace missing teeth with dental implants or correct a gummy smile with advanced surgical techniques.
While these parts of your treatment plan may not be strictly cosmetic in nature, they can improve the health and longevity of your cosmetic work so you can love your smile for life.
Now let’s take a look at how we build your smile makeover treatment plan!
Your Path to a Dream Smile
Cosmetic dentistry can be life changing. But it can also be intimidating, especially for people who don’t love going to the dentist.
Knowing what to expect can help you feel less overwhelmed and more confident in pursuing your dream smile. Here is a basic overview of how we approach cosmetic dentistry at Lake Baldwin Dental.
Consultation
Whether you’re new to our practice or you’ve been seeing us for routine care for years, your first step is an in-depth cosmetic dentistry consultation in Orlando, FL.
We want to understand how your smile is affecting you day to day, and how you hope a smile makeover will improve your quality of life. What are your smile goals? What specific concerns do you have about how your smile looks? How does your smile affect your emotional and psychological wellbeing?
We’ll collect advanced digital diagnostics and carefully evaluate your current dental work, dental and medical history, and start building a plan for how we can give you the smile of your dreams.
We’ll also discuss how comfortable you are in the dental chair and whether dental sedation might be right for you. We want you to love the process from beginning to end, so we’ll do everything we can to keep you comfortable every time you’re in our office.
Treatment Planning
Using our precision diagnostic images, we’ll build a complete digital replica of your dental anatomy. We can use these images and measurements to plan every phase of your treatment.
Dr. Dunn will present you with a variety of treatment options. It’s vital that you understand your options so we can help you make the best decision for your long-term wellness and get a smile you truly love. We’ll always take the time to thoroughly discuss all your options and build a plan that works for your smile goals, lifestyle, and budget.
We’ll carefully design each tooth with consideration for your smile shape, lip line, skin tone, facial features, and many other factors to ensure your final results look as natural as possible and give you a smile you’ll truly love.
Preparation
There might be a few steps you’ll need to take before we get to your cosmetic dentistry treatment. As mentioned earlier, you may need orthodontics, gum surgery, or tooth whitening before we move forward.
Once you’re ready for your cosmetic dentistry procedures, you’ll rest comfortably while we’ll prepare your teeth for the restorations you need. That may mean adjusting your teeth to make room for veneers or crowns or replacing old fillings that show when you smile.
Temporization
If your smile makeover includes crowns, bridges, veneers, or other porcelain or ceramic restorations, you may need to wear temporary restorations for a while.
We always make your temporaries as beautiful and comfortable as possible, but ultimately they won’t hold a candle to your final results.
Celebrating Your New Smile
Your final restorations will be lovingly crafted to our custom design specifications. Once they’ve been fabricated by our expert lab partners, you’ll return to our office to have your temporary teeth removed and your final restorations placed.
Get ready to celebrate!
This is our favorite part of the process. We have been right there alongside so many patients when they get their first look at their new smile, and the joy and excitement you’ll experience is one of the best parts of our job. Many of our patients can’t believe their results!
Caring for Your New Smile
As with many dental procedures, you may need some adjustments to make sure your bite is as perfect as possible. We usually want to allow a little time for you to adapt to the feel of your new teeth, and then you may want to come back for slight adjustments. It’s all part of the process.
We’ll make sure your smile stays as beautiful and healthy as possible by reviewing your home care routine and recommending a regular schedule for cleanings and dental health exams so we can prevent problems and keep your smile in top shape.
You Deserve a Smile You Love
Beautiful teeth mean you can let your personality shine without holding back. Imagine speaking with confidence in professional settings and how that could boost your career prospects. Laughing freely when you’re socializing with friends can help them see you for the joyful person you truly are. Smiling fully in photos can immortalize how much you enjoyed time with your loved ones.
You deserve to feel great about your smile. If you’re ready to discuss whether cosmetic dentistry is right for you, don’t hesitate to call our office. Keep smiling that gorgeous smile, Orlando!
