Are you a good candidate for a smile makeover? If you’re considering cosmetic dentistry in Long Island, there are certain criteria you’ll need to meet before planning any dental treatment.
Regardless of what your smile has been through, you can still enjoy a beautiful, healthy smile with attractive restorative techniques. Based on your smile goals and the history of your teeth, you can find out which treatments you qualify for, and which ones you don’t.
You’re the Right Age for a Smile Makeover
Most cosmetic dentistry treatments are restricted to adults. However, teens may qualify for certain aesthetic treatments, such as teeth whitening or composite bonding. Bonding helps cover specific areas of concern, like stains or misshaped, chipped teeth.
As adults, our smiles are fully developed. That means we have the option of additional treatments like dental veneers or implants, without the risk of a growing, developing anatomy around them.
If you’re over 18, you most likely qualify for any type of cosmetic dentistry treatment. And no, there are no upper age restrictions.
You’re Unhappy With the Way Your Teeth Look
Not in love with your smile? Do you avoid smiling for photos, laughing with friends, or talking to strangers because you are self-conscious about your teeth? A smile makeover could give you the confidence boost you need to be comfortable around your family, friends, and work colleagues. A smile makeover is worth the investment in both your quality of life as well as your personal confidence.
When you feel better about how your teeth look, you’ll be much more likely to show it off in social and professional settings. It turns out that smiling more and having attractive teeth is a sign of friendliness and happiness. People with attractive teeth also tend to do better in job interviews and statistically have more friends. A smile makeover can improve your quality of life in more ways than you realized.
You Have Healthy Gums
Yes, your gum health impacts whether or not you’re a candidate for cosmetic dentistry. Healthy gums are necessary to be eligible for a smile makeover or elective treatments like veneers and whitening. It may seem strange that your gums are so important if your smile is just about your teeth. But in reality, your gums are an important part of the foundation that keeps your smile in line. Your teeth will gradually become loose or even fall out if the gum tissues and underlying bones are damaged. If there is nothing to support your teeth, you will lose all the money you spent on your smile makeover.
Our Long Island dentists will need to screen for periodontal disease before recommending any type of aesthetic smile enhancement. Gum disease symptoms include bleeding, swelling, pockets under the gum tissue, recession and spaces between your teeth. Halitosis and heavy tartar buildup are common.
Fortunately, our Suffolk County dentists can help you get periodontitis under control so that you can still pursue future cosmetic dentistry treatment. Even if you’ve recently recovered from periodontal disease, a smile makeover may still be possible.
You Have Healthy Teeth (Or, You Don’t)
It isn’t safe or recommended to perform cosmetic procedures like dental veneers or whitening on unhealthy teeth. They must be healthy, strong, and well-maintained. That means no active decay or structural damage for strictly aesthetic enhancements.
Thankfully, you can still get a modified smile makeover if your teeth are worn, broken, or decayed. Restorative treatments such as porcelain crowns can be used to fix broken or decaying teeth. Crowns provide similar results as veneers, but they also protect and reinforce the weak tooth underneath. Similarly, we can also place white fillings in areas of tooth decay, recreating natural looking tooth structures that other people won’t notice when you’re smiling.
Can you whiten teeth with cavities? No. But we can place white fillings and whiten the healthy tooth surfaces. The only difference is that active disease needs to be managed prior to aesthetic enhancements being placed across your smile. While you might not feel as motivated about restorative treatments as much as cosmetic procedures, they are necessary in order for you to qualify for a smile makeover.
By combining both aesthetic and restorative treatments—and using the latest in attractive dental materials—you can enhance your smile’s health as well as the way it looks overall.
You Have a Smile Makeover “Look” You’re Hoping To Achieve
Is there a smile that you particularly like or want to have? Such as teeth that are a certain size, shape, or color? It can be helpful to have screen shots or photos of smiles you like so that our Long Island dentists can determine the best treatment for your specific teeth. From recontouring and bonding to veneers and implants, your vision will guide the treatment planning process.
You Want to Work With a Specific Budget and Timeframe for Your Smile Makeover
There are many options for smile makeovers. Some people desire an extremely dramatic investment that requires multiple visits over the span of several months. Others need quick results, or are working with a tighter budget. Depending on how much you’d like to invest and the time involved, we can adjust your options to review the advantages, costs, and timelines of each one.
Do not be afraid to ask about your options. There is a smile makeover for everyone. You can compare conservative and dramatic treatment choices and then take your time to review them with your family, or even find out about affordable financing to make your smile a reality.
Even if you aren’t sure where to start, Sachem Dental Group can help.
Book a Smile Makeover Consultation Today
At Sachem Dental Group, our multispecialty general dentists meet with every patient to discuss their potential smile makeover concerns and goals. Our Long Island providers will then examine each tooth and assess the overall health of your mouth in order to determine what you want and which cosmetic treatments are best suited to your needs.
Contact our cosmetic dentists in Long Island today to reserve your next appointment!