A smile is a doorway into a person’s heart. But, have you ever felt that your teeth may not be giving you the confidence that you otherwise exude? Yellowing teeth, stains, chips and even unsightly imperfections are very common and, let’s face it, we have had to rely on our teeth every single day of our lives, multiple times a day. But, fret not, it is very possible to have ‘perfect’ teeth.
Every celebrity worth their salt has a gorgeous smile and it is no secret that their dentists had a role to play in them. Today, cosmetic dentistry is more advanced, less invasive, extremely affordable and more painless than ever.
SMILE TROUBLES
A riveting smile can warm the cockles of any heart, but there are many parts to achieving that perfect pearly grin. Let us walk you through a few procedures that can help you achieve that sparkling twinkle.
Tooth discolouration is common if you have never been for a professional teeth cleaning or whitening. Stains and overall yellow teeth can really mar the impact your smile can have.
Dental crowding is the top cause of misaligned teeth. This results in poor oral hygiene and gives an ‘unpolished’ look. It’s a no-brainer that missing teeth only look good only on school-going kids.
Broken teeth could be a result of accidents, big or small. It is extremely common to chip your teeth on hard particles or while trying to use your teeth as tools. An excessively gummy smile can make your teeth seem smaller and less attractive too.
If you feel any of these issues are bothering you, cosmetic dentistry has answers.
GET YOUR GLEAM ON
There are a number of solutions that cosmetic dentistry can offer.
Porcelain Veneers: A thin, ceramic, tooth-coloured shell that is placed over a natural healthy tooth is extremely common among celebrities to achieve that perfect look. It covers discoloration, misalignments, cracks and chips, and gives an extremely polished look. Many celebrities opt for all their front teeth to get ‘veneered’.
Dentasia has its in-house Prime Mill chairside milling system. This provides patients customised veneers quickly. The whole process can be completed on a single visit an in less than 90 minutes.
Porcelain Crowns and Bridges: While porcelain veneers cover only the front of the teeth, crowns cover the entire tooth. This is an effective solution for those who do not have a healthy enough set of teeth to support veneers. The added benefit of the crowns is they provide support and reinforcement to compromised teeth, while trying to create a flawless smile.
When multiple crowns are needed side-by-side, the dentist or laboratory will often design a bridge, which includes two or more crowns fused together. The caps are designed to match the colour and appearance of the surrounding teeth, ensuring a radiant smile while helping to preserve the compromised natural teeth. Dental crowns and bridges also can be fitted in just one visit.
Dental Implants: This is an optimal solution for those who have missing or severely damaged teeth. The procedure involves placing a post into the bone above the missing tooth. Once that heals, an abutment is added to it, which eventually holds the porcelain crown. The crown matches the colour and texture of the other surrounding teeth so that and one cannot even tell that there was a problem there to begin with. Dental implants take up to three months because the posts can take time to heal. In the interim, one can be provided with temporary teeth to keep them smiling brighter.
OTHER WAYS TO GET PEARLY WHITES
Professional teeth whitening can achieve amazing results with regularity. A lot of home whitening kits contain harsh chemicals that can damage the enamel of the tooth as well as seep into cavities and under untreated dental problems and exaggerate them.
In our clinic, we use state-of-the-art laser teeth whitening systems. While whitening, the dentist also looks into potential problem areas and treats any underlying damage before they can cause major problems.
TOO OLD FOR BRACES?
Misaligned teeth can be eyesores, but not as much as metal braces. When confronted with such an issue, the answer is simple: invisible braces. Clear aligners are virtually invisible braces that are precisely crafted based on computer-generated images of your mouth. Not only are they less imposing than traditional braces, but they’re more comfortable and they work much faster.
They also don’t have harsh edges and metal brackets and, even better, can be removed. They work well for treating crooked teeth and correcting underbites and overbites. It usually takes patients 12-18 months to complete their treatment, but with regular consultation and good oral hygiene, some have been able to complete the correction even in six months.
So, are you ready for your smile? Getting your dream smile can be possible, achievable, painless and extremely affordable. Get the smile you have always dreamt of.
Pictures courtesy the author
Dr Preeti (Gulgulia) Bothra is an aesthetic dentist, implantologist, associate fellow in laser dentistry (WCLI, US) and PGD in hospital dentistry (UCLA, US), BDS (Hons) (WBUHS). She can be reached at +91-8240465388 and +91-33-3557-3911, or at Dentasia, 8/3 Loudon Street, Kolkata 700017. Her email is dentasiakolkata@hotmail.com and website dentasia.net. She is on Instagram @dentasia_kolkata and on Facebook @dentasia_kol
