There is more to a beautiful smile than just straight teeth.  Some people may have some crowding or extra spaces, but they may have great smiles, and others may have perfectly aligned teeth but not as attractive of a smile as one would like to see.  Here are some keys to a beautiful smile:

Relaxed facial muscles

TMJ pain can cause facial muscles to be tense and restricted.  There are simple procedures that can be performed to treat TMJ pain.  When facial muscles are relaxed, the smile broadens and seems much less strained.  

Healthy gums

Most people don’t realize that it is the gum line that gives the final touch to a perfect smile. Gums should be firm and pink with no bleeding.  It should also properly contour and frame the teeth, as well as follow the lip line.  The gum line should be symmetrical and evenly trace around the teeth.  If there is too much gum showing, the smile looks too “gummy.”

Fortunately, we can now use laser dentistry to reshape the gum line to achieve the proper contour without having to cut the gum or place stitches.  In most cases, patients can return to their daily routine after leaving the office.

White teeth

The other component to a beautiful smile is white teeth.  Great smiles show beautiful white teeth.  However, most teeth are not naturally white.  Most teeth have a yellowish undertone, but some can be grey from being stained from silver fillings, or even greenish-grey from internal medication staining.

Yellowish teeth or externally stained teeth (ex. - coffee stains) can easily be brightened by using bleaching materials.  Bleaching can be either done in the dental offices for faster results or with bleaching trays at home.

Grayish/silver stained teeth can be lightened by replacing the silver filling with tooth-colored filling material.

Internally stained greenish/gray teeth can be lightened by having veneers placed over the existing teeth which show in the smile.

Today we can address most people’s concerns about their smiles.  We can give them the “perfect” smile with no pain by using lasers, bleaching materials, and tooth colored restorations.  These cosmetic procedures can be performed at reasonable prices that fit most everyone’s budget.