Establishing good oral hygiene needs to start at a young age. The sooner your children learn how to care for their teeth the less at risk they are of cavities and other oral hygiene related issues.
Poor oral hygiene can lead to serious health complications in one’s later years. For example, the CDC notes that gum disease has the potential to increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Additionally, not going in for regular cleanings can lead to a confidence-lessening smile. The same holds for neglecting prompt treatment if your child knocks out a tooth.
The importance of smile restoration
Are you self-conscious about your smile? Perhaps it has been too long since your last whitening session? Or you have metal fillings that shine when you laugh? Or maybe you have missing or chipped teeth that have yet to be replaced. Perhaps you have very crowded teeth? Any of these reasons may cause you to try to hide your teeth when you smile. Or to avoid social situations where you need to talk with others, or where you might expose your teeth.
According to Lip Service, a book on the effect of smiles, a smile is at its most natural when the zygomaticus muscles pull the corners of the mouth up. Those who see this type of smile rate the smiler as more friendly, sincere, intelligent and kind than those with neutral expressions.
Preserving your smile is an essential aspect of each person’s appearance. Being able to smile without thinking about your teeth will enable you to connect easily with your family and friends. Taking care of one’s smile is central to our ability to function in social settings and be our natural selves when communicating with others.
If your child has discolorations on their teeth or other issues, it could cause them to withdraw or be the brunt of school bullying.
Options for restoring your family’s smiles
A dental consultation can help you determine how to broach restoring your smile or the smile of any member of your family.
It could be that all you need are a couple of whitening sessions to get a confidence-boosting smile. If your issues are more complex, your dentist may recommend other methods of restoration. Outside of whitening sessions, here are some of the main ways smiles can be restored.
Dental implants. If you have a missing tooth, your dentist may recommend a dental implant. Dental implants are a permanent and sturdier option over bridges or dentures. They provide the ability to chew at full strength, which will allow you to get all the nutrition you need.
Bridges. Not everyone is a good candidate for dental implants, however. For instance, you may not be a candidate if you have experienced considerable bone loss in your jaw. Or if you have problems with grinding or clenching your teeth. Additionally, implants can be costly. A less costly alternative to teeth implants is bridges. Bridges use adjacent healthy teeth to place a replacement tooth where needed.
Veneers. Veneers provide the quickest solution to repairing a chipped or discolored smile. Veneers placed over your visible teeth provide a thin porcelain layer over the front of your teeth. Using strong adhesives, veneers can be placed with little lead-up time. This option is one that many choose when needing a fast fix for an important event.
Bonding. For chipped or fractured teeth, another option is bonding. Bonding uses composite resin to fill in cracks and provide a natural look to your teeth. This is considered to be one of the least expensive procedures to improve your smile.
Considerations for young children
A crooked or overcrowded smile is a concern when children get their adult teeth. This can be fixed by fitting your child with braces. Additionally, overbite and underbite issues can be corrected in this manner.
An orthodontist can provide you with counsel on what the potential issues are regarding your child’s teeth. In a dental appointment, your orthodontist will likely take an X-ray of your child’s teeth to evaluate how the teeth are positioned. There are various types of braces available, and your dentist will be able to advise you on what is best for your child’s situation. Some braces are less noticeable than others. So if your child is very concerned about their appearance, ask your dentist about such options.
Because your child will pick up on your outlook and habits, it’s essential that all members of your family know the importance of good oral hygiene.
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