The new year is a time for finally achieving the goals you’ve been putting off, and if your smile isn’t looking its best, it can be a great time for finally investing in a smile makeover, too.
As a top California cosmetic dentist, Minal Patel, DDS, is skilled in custom treatment plans focused on helping patients at Park Place Smiles improve their smiles and their confidence. If you’re considering a smile makeover, here’s what you should know.
Before you embark on any treatment, it's important to know what results you’re looking for. One of the best ways to do that is to define your concerns — the issues you’d like to have corrected.
Before your visit, spend some time looking at your smile in a mirror. During your consultation visit, we’ll spend a lot of time reviewing your goals, so we can develop a smile makeover plan that’s focused on beautiful results and optimal satisfaction.
A smile makeover works best when your teeth and gums are healthy. Before initiating cosmetic improvements, Dr. Patel recommends an oral health checkup to check for cavities, gum disease, or other concerns that should be addressed before investing in aesthetic treatments.
Treating these issues first ensures your results last while reducing the risk of complications down the road. Healthy gums and strong teeth create a stable base for crowns, veneers, or any other makeover treatment you choose.
When it comes to improving the way your smile looks, professional teeth whitening is one of the simplest and most accessible treatments, requiring one office visit — about an hour of your time — to enjoy beautiful results.
For many patients considering a smile makeover, a teeth whitening treatment is a great way to get started without making a long-term commitment. If you want additional treatments, like veneers or crowns, whitening before those treatments establishes a brighter tone that helps your restorations match your smile when it looks its best.
For more long-term solutions, Dr. Patel offers state-of-the-art restorations and enhancements, like porcelain veneers and crowns, dentures, and dental implants. Each option addresses specific concerns.
Placed on the front surfaces of your visible teeth, veneers can cosmetically correct the following:
Each veneer is custom-shaped and tinted, so it blends in beautifully.
Crowns address many of the same issues as veneers, but instead of being adhered to the front of the tooth, a crown is designed to encircle the entire tooth. Crowns restore a tooth that’s badly damaged by decay, breakage, or discoloration, adding strength in addition to beauty.
Missing teeth definitely takes a toll on your smile and your confidence, too. Dentures are a time-tested way to replace missing teeth and maintain normal bite function, too.
Implants replace missing teeth, too, but instead of resting on your gums, they feature a post that’s literally implanted into your jawbone. Like dentures, they restore your smile, your confidence, and your bite function, and patients who opt for implants say that implants feel natural, too.
Some smile makeovers can be completed in just a visit or two, while others take several weeks. Whitening, for example, offers quick results, while veneers, crowns, or implants may require multiple appointments and careful planning.
Understanding the time frame helps you schedule appointments around other obligations, like work, travel, and special events, such as a wedding, reunion, or other big celebration.
A smile makeover is definitely an investment, and maintaining it is key. Regular dental cleanings, good oral hygiene, and everyday habits — like avoiding tobacco and limiting stain-causing foods — help your smile stay fresh and beautiful.
If you grind or clench your teeth while you sleep, you might benefit from a night guard to relieve pressure that can damage restorations or crack your natural teeth. These small changes protect your “new” smile and extend the life of your restorations, too.
Give yourself the gift of a more beautiful smile (and greater confidence) by finally addressing the issues that bother you most. To learn more about smile makeovers or individual treatments to improve your smile aesthetics, request an appointment with Park Place Smiles in Glendora, California, today.
