A crooked smile can put a damper on many things; it can lower your confidence and stop you from achieving that picture-perfect appearance you badly want. A beautiful smile, on the other hand, gives a significant self-esteem boost.
Achieving such a smile is easier said than done, but fortunately, there is a solution to almost every problem today. Dental technology today can treat numerous issues, from crooked teeth to over- and under-bites and more. However, prevention is surely better than cure.
Good oral hygiene serves more benefits than just aesthetics. You can avoid the pain, cost, and hassle of dental procedures by ensuring good oral hygiene.
With that said, here are helpful tips with which you get the perfect smile you have always wanted:
1. Use Invisalign
Suppose crooked or misaligned teeth are the problem behind your imperfect smile. In that case, there are many solutions, and Invisalign (or clear aligners) is the most revolutionary.
Metal or ceramic braces dominated a while back, and even today, these are more suitable for some candidates. In comparison, Invisalign, if recommended by your dentist, is the perfect solution; aesthetic, affordable, and unnoticeable.
It works similarly to braces but is less conspicuous and painful. The procedure involves using a series of aligner trays, one after the other, to push in your teeth.
If you are wondering ‘how much does Invisalign cost,’ rest assured that you will not be emptying your pockets on this. The exact cost of Invisalign treatment varies from case to case but on average, it can cost between $4,000 and $8,000.
2. Use crowns or implants
Broken, worn down, decayed, cracked, chipped, and discolored teeth also have another solution; dental crowns. A dental crown is a permanent replacement of the visible part of your tooth, cemented over it by fixing it to the underlying natural tooth.
Dental crowns are durable and pressure-resistant like natural teeth, so you don’t have to worry about limiting the types of food you can consume. They are also the same color as your natural teeth, so they would not stand out.
For missing teeth, you may need a dental implant. Made of titanium alloy, these are durable and biocompatible replacements for your missing teeth. A dental implant requires surgery; first, the damaged tooth is extracted. Then the jawbone is grafted, and the dental implant is placed.
Time is given to allow for bone healing and growth. Finally, after abutment placement, the artificial tooth is implanted.
3. Consider veneers
Using veneers is a quicker, more affordable, but artificial treatment for unappealing teeth. Veneers are your go-to solution if you are upset over chipped, broken, small, irregularly shaped, or discolored teeth.
These are thin dental porcelain or resin-composite shells attached to your natural teeth to give them a pearly-white and flawless appearance. The procedure involves grinding down the tooth surface, sometimes even beyond the enamel, and permanently fixing the veneers onto them.
This solution is irreversible – once you have applied veneers, you cannot get your natural teeth back and have to get the veneers replaced every 8-10 years. If you get porcelain veneers, you can spend 15 years before replacing them.
4. Frequent visits to the dentist
It is better to catch a problem in time than to let it linger on until it becomes chronic; you can only identify such problems before they escalate by visiting the dentist regularly. With some dental insurance companies, you can get free dental check-ups; in other cases, you must take the responsibility yourself.
Either way, you must visit the dentist regularly to catch problems like tooth decay and periodontal disease in time and get rid of stains. Routine dental cleaning will also help ensure that your pearly whites remain ‘pearly white.’
5. Don’t smoke
Smoking damages the superficial appearance of your teeth by staining them. It also causes bad breath, inflammation of the salivary glands, build-up of tartar and plaque, bone loss, and a higher risk of leucoplakia.
As hard as it might sound to quit smoking, remember that you cannot achieve the picture-perfect smile if you continue this terrible habit; they don’t go hand-in-hand.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention report that smoking makes recovery from gum disease harder. Not only that, but in the long run, smoking can even lead to periodontal disease and oral cancer. Smoking is also strongly linked with gum disease onset in many individuals.
Also, smokers are six times more likely than non-smokers to suffer from mouth, tongue, throat, or lip cancers. In fact, 90% of people with these cancers use tobacco.
6. Brush twice a day
You must have heard the command ‘brush twice a day many times in your childhood; make sure this habit persists lifelong. The American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day for two minutes. A soft-bristled brush with fluoride toothpaste is the best combination for this.
Regular brushing clears the teeth of dirt and food particles, thus preventing plaque build-up and other more severe problems.
However, brushing alone is not enough. Daily flossing is the only way to remove the particles stuck in the crevices between teeth. Anything brushing misses, flossing will take care of.
If you are not regularly flossing, there might be some bleeding and sensitivity when you begin the routine. Don’t let that scare you; after several days of flossing, your gums will get used to it.
7. Be mindful of what you eat
Be careful with what you eat to ensure that all your hard work and investment in achieving the perfect smile doesn’t go down the drain. Sweetened beverages, a sugar-rich diet, candy, and calcium-rich foods are the perfect recipe for bad oral health!
Sugar-rich foods make your teeth susceptible to developing plaque, dental caries, tooth decay, and cavities. Soda, on the other hand, contains acid that attacks the enamel and erodes it away. This can lead to cavities and stains on the teeth’ surface.
Research shows that reducing sugar intake to 10% or less of the total energy consumption (ideally less than 5%) reduces the chances of dental caries for a lifetime.
Final words
Your smile is one of your most precious assets; a healthy smile boosts your confidence and self-esteem. To keep your pearly whites in perfect health, maintain good oral hygiene, floss and brush regularly, and be mindful of what you eat. You can seek dental procedures like Invisalign, veneers, crowns, and implants if your teeth are misaligned, discolored, missing, or damaged.
By watching for your oral health this way and being on top of your dental treatment routine, you can achieve the long-awaited perfect smile in no time!
