6 Practical Dental Treatments for a Smile Makeover

A healthy smile does much more than enhance your appearance and boost your confidence. It also plays a vital role in your dental and overall health. If you've determined your smile needs an upgrade for health or cosmetic purposes, getting a smile makeover could be the way to go. 

Every makeover is original because every smile is unique.

When you come into South Charlotte Dentistry, we'll assess your oral health and help you choose the ideal treatments for your smile upgrade. We'll also look for signs of any underlying dental issues while we're at it!

 

What Does It Take to Get a Smile Makeover? 

Most smile makeovers incorporate multiple dental procedures to enhance a smile's appearance. Your dentist will use design software to show you how your new smile will look once they've performed the treatments. The improvements can also make it easier to clean your teeth and encourage a regular oral hygiene routine.

 

What Are the Different Smile Makeover Treatments?

Whitening, bonding, fillings, alignment, and veneers are a few of the most common treatments used for smile upgrades. Let's take a closer look at these procedures and a few others:

1. Teeth Whitening   

Professional teeth whitening is the least invasive and most popular treatment for smile makeovers. This treatment eliminates discoloration and brightens teeth; the process is quick, and the results are dramatic! Some clients choose to get their teeth whitened in the dentist's office, while others use a take-home kit.

You can expect superior results when you come to a dental practice like South Charlotte Dentistry. If you plan to get other dental restorations, it's critical to undergo teeth whitening first so your dentist can match the restorations to the shade of the surrounding teeth, leaving a natural look.

 

2. Bonding and Fillings

Dentists often use composite bonding and fillings to fix fractures, cracks, or discoloration in teeth. Bonding can correct various flaws, even slightly crooked teeth. 

If your teeth are damaged by decay, your dentist can put in composite fillings to restore them to their natural appearance. Fillings bond to your enamel while helping them maintain their structure.

 

3. Teeth Alignment     

If your teeth are moderately or severely misaligned or crooked, you may need an orthodontic procedure like braces or clear aligners. Correctly aligned teeth will enhance your smile while helping you chew more efficiently and maintain consistent oral hygiene.

Traditional braces consist of metal wires, elastic bands, and brackets that gradually shift teeth into their ideal positions. This is an excellent option for severe malocclusion, and your dentist will know how to get you the results you're looking for.

Clear aligners have emerged within the last couple of decades and can also be used to straighten your smile. Products like Invisalign are more comfortable than braces, practically invisible, and highly effective for mild to moderate misalignment.

 

4. Gum Contouring     

Some clients have too much visible gum tissue, making their teeth appear smaller than they are. Your dentist can use laser gum contouring to reshape your gums for a better gum-enamel balance and a more attractive smile. The laser technology also makes for a quick procedure with minimal discomfort.

If you have receding gums, your teeth could be exposed to bacteria and eventually cause tooth decay and tooth loss. A professional can remove any damaged tissue with lasers, leaving room for new cells to grow.

 

5. Crowns and Veneers   

Crowns and veneers are used to correct similar dental problems, including teeth that are misshapen, discolored, chipped, broken, or fractured. They can also fix unwanted gaps and decay-damaged teeth.

The primary difference between crowns and veneers is that crowns fit over damaged teeth to restore them to the appropriate size, shape, and function. Veneers are bonded to the front surface of your teeth to boost your smile's appeal.

 

6. Dental Implants    

Dental implants are the most intensive treatment on the list. Dentists use implants to replace missing teeth, enhancing your smile while preventing bone loss. Neglecting to address missing teeth can even lead to a change in your facial structure and appearance. Moreover, getting the necessary implants will keep adjacent teeth in line and help you enjoy full bite function. 

Dental implants are the most effective treatment for missing teeth because they replace the entire tooth rather than just the surface. Your dentist will surgically place the implant on your jawbone, promoting bone health and superior stability.

 

Conclusion     

If you're looking for a smile makeover, it's worth discussing the treatments above with your dentist. A professional can closely examine your teeth and gums to determine which procedures will help you achieve your desired smile. And remember that maintaining a regular oral hygiene routine and going to checkups at South Charlotte Dentistry can help keep your smile beautiful and healthy!

Baby Teeth Hiding? Here is What You Need to Know

There’s no universal standard for how your child should grow and develop. Though there are often good guidelines and tips of things to look for, waiting on growth milestones, like your child’s first steps or words can feel like ages. 

Teeth are no different. And many parents find themselves having a similar question: “Why are my kid's teeth not coming in?”

South Charlotte Dentistry has been helping parents find the answers to all kinds of questions about children’s dental health. We’re here to tackle some of the misconceptions around baby teeth, diagnose the causes for delays in eruption, and make sure your child is on the right path to great oral health.

If you find yourself asking a similar question as the one mentioned before, or with any other concerns about your child’s dental development, it may be worth scheduling an appointment today.

 

Your Child’s Baby Teeth

Babies are born with the first 20 or so teeth already in their mouth. And while those teeth aren’t destined to stick around for long, they play a far more important role in your child’s dental development than you may think.

While baby teeth are growing in, your baby will likely experience pain and need some small steps to help provide comfort. Wiping the mouth with cool gauze or teething rings are great ways to help lessen the pain of tooth growth.

Baby teeth are an often-overlooked part of a child’s development. Some parents feel like the care around baby teeth is not nearly as important as that of permanent teeth. After all, those teeth won’t be there forever, right? While that may seem like a justified cause to have little concern, it’s actually a very dangerous view to have. 

Baby teeth facilitate a child’s smile, create proper spacing for permanent teeth, help them chew, develop speech, and are tied to overall health across the board. If a baby tooth is lost too early, it may spur a permanent tooth’s growth and drift, leading to crooked smiles and other dental problems. 

Another way to make sure you’re caring for those important early teeth is to put a hold on any sugary drinks. Sticking to water and milk early on can save your child from unnecessary decay and cavities. Bottles containing sugary drinks are a key culprit for this decay. 

The first round of baby teeth, if all things are going accordingly, should come in between six months and a year old. (The appearance of the first tooth also typically requires your first dentist appointment.) While by the time your child is 3 they should have their full set of 20 baby teeth. Additionally, you can expect to see those teeth begin to go around 5 or 6. 

 

The Tooth of The Matter

All this talk about baby teeth may leave the parents with bated breaths, waiting for the appearance of the first tooth. Though, for some, delays are entirely possible. 

Whether we’re talking permanent teeth or baby teeth, a delay in tooth eruption usually warrants a visit to the dentist. Catching these delays or medical difficulties earlier is a key way to ensure dental health and that the teeth grow properly when they do come.

While there’s a universal truth related to what to do about delayed tooth development: visiting a dentist, the causes are anything but universal. Here are a few things that could cause your child’s teeth to come in slowly.

Spacing 

When adult teeth grow into younger mouths they can have a difficult time erupting properly. Adult teeth are bigger than baby teeth, so a mouth that hasn’t grown correctly can create problems.

Additionally, issues related to a lack of space can create “crowding” if the adult teeth do grow in. Often leading to a crooked smile. 

Impaction 

Impacted teeth are teeth that are trapped and unable to grow in. This could be a result of blockage from either the gum or bone. This stems from narrow jaws, extra teeth, or general crowding issues.

Whatever the case, it’s typically necessary to schedule an orthodontic appointment to make sure your child’s mouth has enough space, and room for teeth to grow, and to clear a path for the developing tooth.

Teeth Are on The Wrong Track

This cause may sound especially concerning but is easily resolved. The prime candidates for teeth going in the wrong direction are the upper canines or lower bicuspids, or premolars (located between our canines and our molars in the backs of our mouths.) 

You’ll want to visit a dentist so they can helpfully guide the teeth back to the right track.

Nutrition

Like any aspect of health, nutrition helps bring out the best in a person, your child’s teeth are no different. Delays in tooth development could be linked to a lack of nutrition or a deficiency in the diet. Lack of calcium or other nutrient-rich foods, like vegetables, can lead to slow tooth growth and development. 

Extra Teeth

Extra teeth are another possible root cause. It’s a relatively common condition many children experience, known as hyperdontia, the condition results in extra permanent teeth that may block or impede the growth of regular teeth. Hyperdontia usually necessitates the extraction of the extra teeth, giving room for new ones. 

Studies say the condition is likely tied to genetics. So if you as a parent experienced something similar in your youth it may be a prime candidate for the slow tooth development in your child. 

Genetics

The underlying cause of extra teeth, or hyperdontia, is usually tied to genetics. That’s a great example of how genetics, gender, familial history, etc. can impact dental development. A good indicator is looking back to how your development went, if you had braces, problems with growth, or other dental conditions, it’s entirely possible your child will too.

Everyone is different, so being a month behind, or ahead, of schedule usually is tied to genetic conditions, not an underlying problem. Gender also plays a role, with girls developing permanent teeth earlier than boys. 

Better Late Than Never

If your kid’s teeth come in just a tad bit behind the average, there usually isn’t a cause for concern. 

You know your child well and if there isn’t crankiness attached to teething, rubbing of the mouth, or other indicators of some underlying dental problems, late tooth development may just be the way your child grows. Just make sure you’re starting early appointments at the sign of the first tooth, as a way to ensure things are going well.

18 months should be the key indicator of a real underlying problem, so if your child has yet to develop a tooth at that mark, you should get to the dentist as soon as possible. 

 

The Answer To Early Dental Problems

While the causes of a delay in the appearance of teeth are wide and varied, all of them share a similar solution: Going to a dental professional.  

Getting a young child to the dentist can prove to be a difficulty in itself. Children commonly face dental anxiety and fears when waiting for an impending dental appointment. Finding a dentist equipped to provide not only dental service but an experience of comfort can be daunting. Still, that’s a challenge well worth it.

Developmental dental difficulties are complex and usually necessitate a professional's guidance to correct them. Building a solid foundation for a lifetime of oral health is necessary, so putting off an appointment could spell trouble. 

South Charlotte Dentistry has been serving the Charlotte area since 1999. Because of that experience, we’re very familiar with the wide array of causes and solutions to developmental dental problems. 

And while you may be tempted to wait, the only real way to answer the question, “Why are my child’s teeth not coming in?” is by seeking out the necessary help and guidance.