Most people investigate cosmetic dentistry because they want a perfect smile, but it can offer much more than this, and there are other advantages to consider. These include:
Better Nutrition
Eating a varied diet with failing, infected, painful, or missing teeth is tricky. Many foods are off-limits as they are too hard to chew comfortably. As a result, food choices can be restricted. For example, if your back teeth are missing, it's almost certainly harder to grind foods like meat and foods that need chewing thoroughly. Being unable to chew foods properly can also impact digestion as this begins in the mouth. When you chew food, it creates a larger surface area that is lubricated with saliva. Saliva contains enzymes that help begin the process of digestion.
When you cannot eat a wide range of foods, you may miss out on essential nutrients. If you aren't well nourished, your body will struggle to fight infection and disease and maintain strong, healthy bones and muscles and overall function.
Restoring your teeth so you can eat comfortably can greatly improve your dietary choices, so you benefit from a more attractive smile and better overall health.
Improved Oral Hygiene
Anyone with crooked and overlapping teeth knows they are much harder to keep clean. Getting your toothbrush in all the nooks and crannies can be impossible, and sliding dental floss between tightly packed teeth is tricky. Gaps between teeth can easily trap food, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
When your teeth are straight and evenly aligned, they are much easier to keep clean. Your toothbrush will remove more dental plaque effectively, and flossing is simpler, so maintaining good oral health is much more straightforward.
Improving Your Tooth Alignment
Many people have teeth that do not bite together properly and can develop problems with their teeth, jaw joints and facial muscles. When teeth do not bite together properly, it can cause some teeth to wear down more quickly than others, and places pressure on the jaw joints. As a result, these joints can become inflamed and painful, causing a problem called temporomandibular joint disorder. The pain and discomfort can affect facial muscles, even causing problems like tinnitus and headaches.
These days it's increasingly common for people to have orthodontic treatment to improve their smile. As a bonus, realigning crooked teeth can protect their teeth and jaw joints and avoid problems like temporomandibular joint disorder.
Protecting Existing Teeth
Teeth that are broken down or chipped, or missing entirely can be covered or replaced with beautiful crowns, bridges and veneers. These restorations can also help to protect and preserve teeth while improving their appearance. Other treatments like tooth-coloured fillings help prevent further decay and infection and mend teeth nearly invisibly.
When you visit our practice for cosmetic dentistry, we will examine your teeth and discuss suitable options to provide the results you desire. We also discuss how each treatment works and how it could help benefit your oral health.