Bad habits can cost you money and your smile

Aethestics is all about beauty and maintaining beauty is a function of good habits. Your dentist can restore a healthy beautiful look to your mouth and face, but they can't guarantee long-lasting effects without proper maintenance. Bad habits can quickly diminish the benefits of all the creative treatment performed. A qualified dental team can help you identify any problems you might have that could end up costing you time, money and valued tooth structure. Sometimes personal habits cost you money and needless hours in the dental chair.

Bite Problems

When teeth don't mesh properly, a malocclusion or bad bite results. And bad bites are bad news. They can cause problems ranging from headaches to faulty hearing. The importance of the teeth meeting correctly cannot be overemphasized. Much of your overall health depends on the food you eat, and being able to chew it is extremely important.


And the problem need not be confined to the front of the mouth. Did you know, for example, that the loss of back teeth can contribute to an aging face? It's true. The teeth and bone structure form the underpinnings for the mouth and surrounding tissue. When that framework is not completely aligned and the bottom teeth do not meet with the top teeth with exact precision, then the area around the mouth can lose its tone and therefore its shape. This causes a drooping effect that can give an aged appearance.

Cosmetic contouring - an aesthetic compromise

One of the oldest and most economical of all aesthetic procedures is cosmetic contouring of the natural teeth. In addition to the aesthetic benefits, function is often improved. Reshaping and polishing malpositioned teeth can make them more self-cleansing and reduce the likelihood of fracture.

In situations where other procedures are too expensive for you, cosmetic reshaping provides a good compromise. It is therefore wise to consider this alternative approach to aesthetic improvement rather than to assume nothing can be done except crowning or orthodontics. In a two-year study of sixty beauty contestants, cosmetic contouring was indicated as the ideal treament in 40 per cent of the cases; however, over 95 percent of the contestants would have been helped through some type of cosmetic contouring.

Communication

It is important for you to tell the doctor exactly what you would like corrected. It may be that the dentist's treatment is exquistie, but not exactly what you had in mind, so carefully espressing you desires is extremely important. Your dentist may see particular problems, inform you of treatment options and help you decide what your main concern and priorities are.

In order to properly evaluate your dental concerns, the dentist needs thorough records, which usually include photographs, xrays and an exam that includes intraoral, as well as an evaluation of the head and neck muscles. Your doctor uses these records to complete a specialized plan of treatment for you.