Do you hate your teeth?
There’s no question that a smile can set the stage for your life. Phyllis Diller said ‘A smile is a curve that sets everything straight’ and Marilyn Monroe said ‘Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about’. The problem is that a smile is such a powerful part of who we are that people make decisions in an instant based on that first impression. Malcolm Gladwell wrote his second book, Blink, about the instant decisions we make about things based on nothing more than intuition. Based on nothing more than the first impression. Research has also shown us that when we meet someone, we dial into three very crucial things; the eyes, and the mouth.
Emotion and reaction and fear and anger and happiness are all clearly shown by simply watching the mouth and eyes, and we have learned to trust our instinct about people because of that insight. Research has also shown that people who smile more are seen as happier, more fulfilled, more successful, and more intelligent. So the question really comes down to why you don’t smile all the time?!
Imagine a world…
So many people hide their smile because they don’t like their teeth. The crowding or rotation in their teeth makes them self conscious. The color makes them embarrassed. The chipped teeth sometimes don’t even show when they smile. The simple reality is self-esteem is directly tied to how you feel about your smile. However, there is always something you can do to make your smile reflect who you really are!
Ask yourself, if it was simple, easy, and free, would there be anything you would want to change about your smile? Maybe there’s a gap between the teeth that drives you crazy; or the teeth are just too small. Or too big! These are all very fixable, and usually the solution is easier than you think!
Brighter, whiter teeth!
The simplest and quickest fix is when the shade isn’t right. There are some very powerful whitening options and at Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown, we have two of the best options in dentistry today. If you want to come in and brighten your smile in one visit, Zoom! laser whitening is the system for you. It uses proprietary whitening gel paired with a focused light to speed up the chemical process and you usually see the smile up to 8 shades whiter when you leave that day! We also provide touch-up whitening trays for you so that you can continue to brighten or maintain that sparkle for years to come.
If sensitivity is a concern, or you have really dark teeth or even tetracycline stains in your teeth, the KöR Whitening system is absolutely worth trying! With precise custom made trays and preservative-free whitening gel, this is the system that gives the most powerful and impressive results currently available. We combine an in-office boost session with home whitening and in just a few short weeks, even the darkest smiles brighten dramatically! If you don’t like the color of your teeth, we have a solution.
They’re pretty, but…
Sometimes the teeth are a decent color, but they’re all looking in a different direction. There is a flow that teeth are supposed to have, and when they don’t, even when you’re laughing, you look kind of angry. If the teeth don’t have a lot of wear and are all the right shape and size, then it may be a simple matter of getting them lined up better. That’s where braces come into play. There are basically two systems for straightening teeth. The old stand-by metal braces and invisalign or aligners to gently straighten your teeth. Twenty years ago, there weren’t many things we could accomplish with invisalign, but today it is usually a faster and more precise approach to most of the issues that people have with their smiles.
The average treatment is between 9 and 12 months and the results can literally change your life. Food may taste the same with straight teeth, but you don’t get spinach caught between them when there aren’t big gaps. Not only do they stay cleaner naturally, but they also protect the gums. Science has clearly shown that when your teeth are crowded, the bacteria in your gums is more dangerous!
Straight ugly teeth are still ugly!
If you have worn down and chipped your teeth, simple alignment may still not create the smile you want. Sometimes the poor bite and poor alignment, combined with your body trying to fix things, has worn off a lot of your tooth structure. They are crooked and chipped and even if they were straight, you would still smile with your lips closed or laugh with your hand in front of your mouth. Fortunately, there are solutions for you too!
If you are lucky enough that even with the wear in your teeth, you don’t have headaches or facial pain, the answer may simply be using veneers. If that’s all you need to get your smile how you want it, that is a easy and fun experience! In the first visit we talk about your goals and how to achieve them. You can literally pick a smile from our Smile Catalog, and we have the lab create that on a model of your teeth to fit your mouth and face. With this blueprint, we will prepare your teeth on the first visit and you get to wear a prototype of your smile home that day. You can test out how the teeth smile and talk and chew and decide what things you want to do to fine tune them. Then when we get the veneers back a few weeks later, we bond those in and you finally get to see the smile that has been hiding inside you all along!
But I was told I can’t do veneers…
For some people, the problem isn’t simply a matter of correcting the size and shape of the teeth. Sometimes they are worn down because there’s a bite issue, and this bite issue is wreaking havoc with your life. People have migraine and chronic headaches because of a bad bite. They have reflux issues from a bad bite. Sometimes people have numbness in their fingertips or ringing in their ears all from a bad bite. Often, this is also combined with nigh-time airway or Obstructive Sleep Apnea issues. We can help you wade through how to address those issues too!
At Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown, we have been helping people manage sleep apnea and end chronic head and neck pain for almost 20 years. We have had the chance to work with some of the finest physicians and health care providers in the area. Over the years, we have built a team to help you address the issues when they involve more than just your teeth. It turns out “the knee bone connected to the thigh bone” is more than just a song. We truly are an intricately interwoven creation, and to treat the teeth and mouth as if they are apart from the rest of the body is a mistake. Fortunately, our doctors have the education and experience to help people rebuild and restore their smile even when other dentists have said there’s nothing that can be done.
It sounds great but…
All too often we justify away things we don’t want to do or don’t think can be done. The reality is that is almost never true. Have you ever seen a photo of you and your friends and been struck by something in it? Have you noticed they’re all smiling like they invented teeth and you have a pursed lip smile? If you have, it’s impacting your life. If you don’t like meeting new people because you don’t like your smile, it’s impacting your life. If you don’t smile and laugh at work, it’s impacting your income! Life is too short to let something that is so simple. Especially if it comes between you and the life you were meant to live! Give us a call at 512-819-9100 and ask to set up a free cosmetic consultation. In just 30 minutes you will probably be surprised. You will meet someone you like and learn about some simple solutions to get the smile you want. Who knows, you may decide it’s time to change your smile and change your life!
