Cosmetic dentistry gives you more than just a pretty smile: it can make your smile healthier, too. This cuts against the belief that some people have about cosmetic dentistry: that it’s all vanity. In actuality, many of the things we do to make our smile look better make our smile healthier, too.
Straight Teeth: Easier to Clean and Better for Chewing
One of the most common complaint people have about their smiles is crooked teeth, which can be corrected using braces. Crooked teeth can make a big impact on how you are perceived, but they can also make a big impact on the health of your smile.
Crooked teeth are more likely to trap food particles, and they are harder to brush and floss than straight teeth. If you aren’t cleaning effectively, you may be at an increased risk for gum disease, which has many secondary health effects (including heart disease), and tooth loss.
Crooked teeth can also contribute to an inefficient bite. If you aren’t chewing properly, your teeth may wear down faster, and they may wear down unevenly because of the uneven forces you are putting on your teeth. Sometimes, crooked teeth may put you at a higher risk for broken teeth.
White Teeth Make It Easier to Spot Decay
Young teeth are white. Healthy teeth are white. This is why teeth whitening is such a popular procedure, but it can also benefit your oral health.
When your tooth begins to experience demineralization and decay, it becomes discoloured. White teeth make it easier to spot this discolouration in its early stages so we can try to head it off before it worsens.
White teeth can also make it easier to know you’ve done a good job of cleaning your teeth. But be aware: dental plaque is translucent and white, so you can’t just rely on a visual examination. Make sure your teeth feel clean, too, by running your tongue along them.
A Whole Smile Is a Healthy Smile
If you have lost a tooth, replacing that tooth is more than just trying to make sure you have an attractive smile. A missing tooth can lead to serious health consequences. Teeth on either side of the gap may be subjected to excess force because there are fewer teeth to share the burden. And once a tooth is missing, the other teeth may begin to drift. This can lead to crooked teeth, and all their problems (as above), but can also lead to increased risk of losing additional teeth.
There are many aspects of cosmetic dentistry that are purely about improving your appearance, but in other cases they can actually benefit your oral and general health. To learn more about how cosmetic dentistry can benefit you, please call (02) 9686 7375 for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist in the Baulkham Hills area of Sydney.
