This guide is super useful to help you achieve a great lovely smile – So important!!!
COMMON TEETH ISSUES
Teeth crowding - lack of space on your jaw causing teeth to fist strangely, overlapped, rotated pushed back. Makes brushing your teeth more difficultGaps - Gaps between your teeth most commonly between your two front teeth (diastema)
Some people like having the gap teeth idk it’s up to preference
Overbite - Causes your upper teeth to overlap your lower teeth
Buck teeth - Where your upper front teeth are in front of your lower front teeth
Underbite - Lower jaw is protrudes and your lower teeth sit in front of your upper teeth
Crossbite - Upper teeth bite your lower teeth
Discolouring of teeth
Gummy smile - Showing more gum than teeth when you smile “fiancé smile”
Misshaped teeth - Teeth can be naturally misshaped, worn down etc.
Chipped/Cracked teeth
WHATS A GOOD SMILE GOT?
- No gum exposure
- No/Soft smile lines (I know superman has smile lines however I just mean generally)
- Natural white tint
- Straight canines
- Straight nasal tip
- Wide palette that exposes around 10 teeth
- Angular and defined cupid bow
Traditional braces - Metal braces using stainless steel brackets and wires to shift teeth
Clear Aligners (e.g. Invisalign) - Work by shifting teeth using custom made plastic trays, more comfortable than braces and are more discrete. They are used for moderate/mild cases
Retainers - Need to be worn after any orthodontic work so your teeth do not shift back
Not used on their own without any work
- Durable
- Affordable
- Suitable for all ages
- Effective for complex cases
- Fixes crooked or crowded teeth, Gaps between teeth, and Bite issues like overbites and overjet’s.
Clear Aligners (e.g. Invisalign) - Work by shifting teeth using custom made plastic trays, more comfortable than braces and are more discrete. They are used for moderate/mild cases
- Causes Lisp
- Need to be worn constantly
- Can sometimes work quicker than traditional braces
- Removable
Retainers - Need to be worn after any orthodontic work so your teeth do not shift back
Not used on their own without any work
Composite bonding’s/filling - Used to fix cavities usually but also are used cosmetically to fill in chips and close small gaps between teeth. Also, can be used aesthetically for reshaping of teeth so can sharpen the canine.
Crowns - A cap that covers a damaged/chipped tooth for usage when a tooth is decayed, broken or has an old filling
Veneers - Thin shells that are usually porcelain that are bonded to the front of the teeth. Can change shape, size, colour and length of your teeth
- Bonding of tips may wear down over time due to pressure from biting
- Quick
- Affordable
Crowns - A cap that covers a damaged/chipped tooth for usage when a tooth is decayed, broken or has an old filling
- They protect teeth and stop any further damage of the tooth
- They are made from durable materials so can last many years
- Cheaper than some other tooth restoration methods
Veneers - Thin shells that are usually porcelain that are bonded to the front of the teeth. Can change shape, size, colour and length of your teeth
- Completely permanent, if you don’t like them it’s over because your natural tooth enamel is removed to allow fitting - the enamel does not grow back
- High cost
- Risk of damage to teeth as veneers are not that durable, they can chip or crack
- They last only 10-15 years due to wear and would need to be replaced
- HIGH QUALITY veneers are natural looking and can look really good
- Low maintenance + Stain resistant
Professionally done whitening - best choice, works the best, has fastest results it's also safer because you do not risk hurting your teeth/ gums like you would if you used your own whitening strips and products
- More expensive than doing it by yourself
- Not permanent
- More affordable than getting them professionally done
- Can get custom-fitted trays form your dentists which will increase comfort
- Doing them wrong could cause gum irritation or sensitive teeth
Surgical Lip Repositioning
Permanently lowering the upper lip, a strip of tissue is removed from the upper lip to reduce the amount of gum present when smiling, resting how much of the lip can be lifted up.
Gum Contouring (Gingivectomy)
Creates a more balanced gum line, if your teeth are short or covered by gum tissue, a laser is used to reshape the gums to reveal more of your teeth.
Botox - non-surgical process
Injects into your upper lip to relax muscles (lip flip) to relax it so that it won't call excessive gum exposure while smiling. Makes your smile look more proportional
Permanently lowering the upper lip, a strip of tissue is removed from the upper lip to reduce the amount of gum present when smiling, resting how much of the lip can be lifted up.
- Done under anaesthesia
- Quick recovery, mild complications like pain bleeding etc.
Gum Contouring (Gingivectomy)
Creates a more balanced gum line, if your teeth are short or covered by gum tissue, a laser is used to reshape the gums to reveal more of your teeth.
- Permeant and immediate results
- Unless you get unlucky and your gum regrows
- Quick and recovery is simple
Botox - non-surgical process
Injects into your upper lip to relax muscles (lip flip) to relax it so that it won't call excessive gum exposure while smiling. Makes your smile look more proportional
- Quick procedure lasts around 3-6 months
- Minimal side effects
To get a wide palate that exposes 10 teeth (optimal)
MARPE ( Mini - implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion)
Adult palate expands that use mini-implants screwed into your palate to apply force to your palatal bones causing skeletal expansion even after your growth plates are done growing.
MARPE ( Mini - implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion)
Adult palate expands that use mini-implants screwed into your palate to apply force to your palatal bones causing skeletal expansion even after your growth plates are done growing.
- Creates space for straight teeth
- Improves breathing
- Fixes narrow smile
- An attractive smile usually shows 8-10 teeth
Once your teeth are straight, its time to frame them better
Lip filler - Increases volume of lips, can be done only slightly to improve appearance.
Lip lift - Permanent solution to a ling upper lip. A strip of skin is removed under your nose shortening the philtrum revealing more of your lip.
Lip filler - Increases volume of lips, can be done only slightly to improve appearance.
- Enhances cupid's bow to fix asymmetry, thinness and unevenness.
- Can be used on the corners of your mouth to have an upturned smile
- Quick results
- Reversible if you don't like the results
Lip lift - Permanent solution to a ling upper lip. A strip of skin is removed under your nose shortening the philtrum revealing more of your lip.
- Reduced philtrum size
- More pronounced lip shape
- Is a customisable procedure so you can explain exactly what you want
- Defines cupids bow
Prevent nose widening when you smile
Botox - injected in your ‘ Elvis'; muscle that pulls at your upper lip and your nose when you smile, this would relax the muscle causing your nose to not flare when you smile and keep the nasal tip straight.
Prevent smile lines
Botox - Injected into the upper fibres of the Zygomaticus Major Muscle (smiling muscle), this would reduce the upward pull of your cheeks and upper lip which is what causes smile lines. Causes are more relaxed smiles.
Facial harmony
Facial support on your cheeks can make your smile look more supported
Cheek filler - Strategically placed filler can make your mid-face have more volume causing a lifted structure of your smile.
Botox - injected in your ‘ Elvis'; muscle that pulls at your upper lip and your nose when you smile, this would relax the muscle causing your nose to not flare when you smile and keep the nasal tip straight.
Prevent smile lines
Botox - Injected into the upper fibres of the Zygomaticus Major Muscle (smiling muscle), this would reduce the upward pull of your cheeks and upper lip which is what causes smile lines. Causes are more relaxed smiles.
Facial harmony
Facial support on your cheeks can make your smile look more supported
Cheek filler - Strategically placed filler can make your mid-face have more volume causing a lifted structure of your smile.
FINALLY
Start with the foundations - Orthodontic procedures like Braces, Invisalign, Palette expander then moves up to fine details like lip filler etc.
Then achieve a great totally amazing smile
Thank you very much for reading