How a Cosmetic Dentist Can Improve Your Self-Esteem

A cosmetic dentist is a dental professional who helps patients achieve the aesthetic that they want from their smile. Whether patients are feeling self-conscious due to stains or have a fear of smiling because of the size of their teeth, a cosmetic dentist can bring a person’s smile into alignment with their goals. If you are experiencing low self-esteem due to tooth blemishes, know that there is nothing to be ashamed of, but if you so choose, a cosmetic dentist can help you explore options to fix or cover the blemishes and restore your smile to be a vibrant part of your appearance.

What cosmetic dentists can do

Cosmetic dentists can perform a wide range of treatments to address the visual aspects of a person’s smile. Most of these procedures do not impact the smile's functionality (like general dentistry might), as they solely focus on making it look more appealing.

Address stains

The most common complaint from patients who are self-conscious about their smiles is that the shade of their teeth is too dark or too yellow. There are multiple potential causes for this, from regularly consuming foods that cause stains to gradually losing the exterior enamel, thus making the yellowish dentin more visible.

A cosmetic dentist can perform tooth whitening services in the office or by providing at-home kits custom-molded to the patient’s mouth. In-office whitening can typically brighten the person’s smile by multiple shades in a single appointment by using lasers and powerful peroxide solutions that are not available over the counter.

Cover cracks and chips

A person may feel that their teeth are unappealing because they are cracked, chipped, or uneven. In some cases, the dentist can grind down the edge of the affected tooth to create a smoother surface. In other instances, the best option might be veneers, which are tooth-colored shells that sit on the front surfaces of teeth to cover imperfections.

Veneers are a lifelong commitment, however, which means patients will need to continue getting them if the first ones become damaged. That said, they offer unparalleled customization, so patients can decide exactly how they want their smile to look.

Adjust gum height and thickness

If a patient is struggling with the size of their teeth, the gums could be the culprit. Those with short teeth (called a “gummy smile”) may benefit from gum contouring, which removes excess tissue and sculpts the gumline into something symmetrical and visually pleasing. If a person’s teeth are especially long, the cosmetic dentist may recommend gum grafting, bringing tissue from elsewhere in the mouth to cover the bottoms of the teeth and minimize the appearance of their length.