You don’t have to dislike your teeth to wish your smile looked a little different.
Maybe your teeth are generally healthy. Your gums are in good shape, you don’t have any major dental problems, and your teeth function just fine. But there’s still something about your smile that you’d like to change.
Maybe your teeth are a little darker than you’d like. Perhaps there’s a small chip, a gap, uneven edges, or a tooth that looks different from the others. Or maybe you simply don’t love the way your smile looks in photographs.
Not in love with your smile? You’re not alone. A recent study of adults found that more than one-third were dissatisfied with their smiles, while nearly 4 in 10 said they sometimes or always avoided smiling in photographs.
We’re often our own toughest critics when it comes to our appearance, and our smiles are no exception. But if you find yourself holding back your smile because you aren’t confident about the way your teeth look, it may be worth talking with your dentist about what can be done.
And the answer may be simpler than you think.
Healthy Teeth Can Still Have Cosmetic Concerns
Your teeth can be generally healthy and functional while still having characteristics you’d like to improve. The color, shape, size, position and spacing of your teeth can all affect how you feel about your smile.
And sometimes, it’s not a major change you’re looking for. You may simply want to fix one small thing that has always bothered you.
That’s where a thoughtful approach to cosmetic dentistry can make a difference.
Dr. Kyle has helped many patients make subtle changes to their smiles, and you’ll often be surprised by what a small tweak or two can do. A little reshaping, repairing a small chip, brightening your teeth or closing a small gap can sometimes make a bigger difference than you might expect.
What Can Cosmetic Dentistry Do?
Cosmetic dentistry isn’t one-size-fits-all. Depending on what you’d like to change, there may be several ways to achieve the smile you’re looking for.
Want a brighter smile?
Professional teeth whitening can help improve the appearance of many types of tooth discoloration and is often one of the simplest ways to refresh your smile.
Have a small chip or uneven edge?
Dental bonding can often repair a small chip or subtly reshape a tooth while preserving the healthy tooth structure underneath.
Wish your teeth were more even or had a different shape?
Depending on your goals and the condition of your teeth, dental bonding or veneers may be options.
Have small gaps or teeth that aren’t quite as straight as you’d like?
In some cases, dental bonding or porcelain veneers may help improve the appearance of your smile.
And if you have several concerns you’d like to address, Dr. Kyle can help you understand whether combining treatments might give you the result you’re looking for.
You Don’t Have to Change Everything
You’ve probably heard terms like smile makeover or smile transformation used to describe cosmetic dentistry. And while those phrases can make it sound like you need to completely redesign your smile, that’s not necessarily the case.
Sometimes, a smile makeover is simply about making one or two small, thoughtful changes that help you feel more confident. In fact, sometimes the most satisfying result comes from making a small change rather than changing everything.
At Beffa Dental, we believe in being as conservative as possible while still achieving the result you’re looking for. Whenever appropriate, we want to preserve healthy natural tooth structure rather than remove it simply to create a cosmetic result.
That might mean professional whitening. It might mean dental bonding. It might mean Invisalign or veneers. And sometimes, the best recommendation may be to leave your teeth exactly as they are.
Start With What You Don’t Love About Your Smile
You don’t need to know which cosmetic treatment you need before making an appointment. That’s what a cosmetic consultation is for.
Start by thinking about what you’d like to change. Is it the color of your teeth? A small chip? The shape of one or two teeth? A gap? The way your teeth look when you smile?
When you meet with Dr. Kyle, you can talk through what you’d like to see differently, ask questions and learn about the options available to you. He’ll look at your smile, listen to your goals and help you understand what approach might make the most sense—without feeling like you have to commit to a particular treatment.
Sometimes the answer is a simple one. Sometimes there are several options to consider. And sometimes you may discover that you don’t need to do anything at all.
At Beffa Dental, we’ve been doing our best to make Burien a little brighter, one smile at a time. If you like your teeth but don’t quite love your smile, we’d love to meet you, hear what you’re thinking and see what we can do to help you feel a little more confident about your smile.
Please reach out to us and request a cosmetic consultation – just give us call at (206) 242-0066 to schedule or reach out to us online!
