How to Overcome Your Smile Insecurities

Everyone deserves to have a smile that expresses self-confidence and inner beauty. Unfortunately, too many people are insecure about their smile when the sources of their unhappiness can easily be fixed. Turns out, with some simple, cost-effective, and painless cosmetic dentistry, you can dazzle the world with your smile.

Three of the biggest smile inhibitors are yellowing or discolored teeth, crooked teeth, and gaps. Each of these issues can be addressed by an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) member dentist to give you the results you've dreamed of.

Teeth Whitening

There are a number of reasons why teeth become discolored over time from internal causes to external factors. So, it just makes sense that there are a variety of ways to deal with whitening, from simple do-it-yourself products to more extensive in-office treatments. While a prescription is not needed for the over-the-counter home remedies, it is a good idea to discuss them with your AACD dentist. In-office remedies are typically more effective and better for people with sensitivity issues because the rest of the mouth can be protected.

Crooked Teeth

While most people instantly picture teens in braces when they think of straightening crooked teeth, there are options for adults that are much more subtle than the full-metal braces of the past. Short-term orthodontics can include invisible braces that are placed behind the teeth and which can be a faster alternative to traditional braces; clear aligner therapy -- such as Invisalign -- a well-known "nearly invisible" treatment that uses trays to gradually create change; and more. With strict compliance, these solutions can create straighter teeth.

Gaps

Some gaps between teeth (diastema) can be fixed with the traditional metal braces or other short-term options mentioned above. But there are other methods of fixing gaps that can work almost instantly to give you a smile that you'll want to share. Bonding fills in the space by using a resin, and dental veneers use ceramic or porcelain to subtly widen the teeth to diminish the gap. If your gap is due to missing teeth or dental implants, a bridge or partial dentures can restore the healthy appearance you once had.

Talk to an AACD member dentist to find out which treatment(s) are best suited to tackling your smile-inhibitors and take your smile from blah to brilliant.  

By: NewsUSA for NewsUSA
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/20160928/how-to-overcome-your-smile-insecurities


If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Omni Dental Group at one of our three office locations listed below:

North Austin on Hymeadow Drive: (512) 250-5012
Central Austin on Jollyville Road: (512) 346-8424
South Austin on William Cannon: (512) 445-5811

Maryland Bridge (Bonded Resin Retainer)

The Maryland bridge, or bonded resin retainer, is an alternative to implants and conventional crowns to replace missing teeth. This type of replacement procedure can be considered when the space to be restored is next to teeth in good alignment that are not heavily restored with filling materials. Because this type of bridge is adhesively bonded to the enamel on the abutment teeth, having adequate enamel is important. A Maryland bridge is fixed into place and is not meant to be removed at night.

Maryland Bridge vs. Fixed Bridge

One advantage of this process over a conventional bridge is that a missing tooth can usually be replaced with a minimum amount of preparation (drilling) of the remaining teeth. It is not necessary to prepare the tooth to the same extreme degree as with full tooth coverage restorations (crowns or caps). This method is an extremely conservative procedure. It is also less expensive (about one quarter less) than a conventional bridge. Tissue health around the abutment teeth is usually excellent because little or no preparation of the tooth structure near the gingival (gum) tissues is needed. Unlike conventional full coverage restorations, teeth prepared for a Maryland bridge retainer will not need endodontic treatment (root canal therapy) at a later date.

If the patient has abusive eating or bruxing (grinding) habits, this type of restoration is contraindicated. Although we do consider it more of a restoration for posterior (back) teeth rather than anterior teeth, it does display metal more so than a conventional bridge. The biggest disadvantage of a Maryland bridge is that the expected life may not be as long as that of a conventional bridge made of full coverage crowns. This technique was only introduced in the early 1980s and therefore does not have the extensive successful history of full coverage bridges. While breaking of a Maryland bridge is not likely, debonding can occur, requiring a re-cementation. In some rare instances, it might have to be redone. In either case, you may be charged a fee for the procedure. A Maryland bridge is a fixed replacement for a missing tooth, but one that will need to be redone in the future. The success rate at 5 years of Maryland bridges in our practice is approximately 80%. However, this is a much better result than the national average, which shows a success rate of about 33% at 4 years. Maryland bridges are most appropriate for single-tooth replacement. 

If dental implants are not an option for you for tooth replacement and you do not want the teeth on either side of the space to be radically prepared (cut down or drilled), then you should consider the Maryland bridge technique. For many patients, the advantages of less drilling of the teeth and the reduced cost make it a desirable alternative.

If you have any questions about the Maryland bridge technique, please feel free to ask us.