Look Great, Feel Great: The Benefits of Smile Design

Authors and poets may put a lot of emphasis on a person’s eyes when they’re describing a character’s most attractive features, but a survey conducted by the American Dental Association (ADA) says it’s actually the smile that people find most attractive. In its survey of 1,000 Americans over age 18, the ADA found people who were surveyed ranked a healthy smile as being more attractive than nice eyes, hair or body build. That doesn’t mean you should stop practicing good hygiene or healthy eating and exercise habits, but what it does mean is that you might want to start focusing more time and attention on getting that beautiful smile you’ve always wanted.

A healthy, attractive smile is about more than having white teeth. It’s also about the way the smile looks – is it aligned properly? Is it symmetrical? Are the teeth crowded or crooked? Are the bottom edges of the teeth lined up with one another, or are teeth uneven? The fact is, very few people have perfect smiles right from the get-go. Genetics, mouth size and even early nutrition and chewing habits can all play a role in the smile you wind up with. Lack of consistent dental care during your childhood often plays a primary role in determining how your smile looks.

Smile design: An individualized approach

Fortunately, there are many ways today that a trained dentist can help you get a beautiful, healthy smile. In fact, there’s a whole area of dentistry devoted to achieving a great smile, and it’s called “smile design.” In a nutshell, smile design is the collection of all the treatments and services a specific patient needs in order to get the best smile for him or her. Because what constitutes a perfect smile can – and will – vary sharply from one patient to the next based on his or her unique physical characteristics, the approach to smile design is entirely customized.

So how can we determine which procedures or treatments are best for you? At Dentistry for All Ages, we begin by analyzing your needs using a tool called the Dawson Diagnostic Wizard. This tool helps us understand your needs by asking specific questions about your concerns and your goals and by gathering physical information, including data from x-rays, photographs and other evaluations to help identify underlying issues that may be causing issues like crowding or crookedness. We’ll also look at your bite pattern and your jaw function to look for signs of misalignment that could cause pain or other issues down the road.

Once your analysis is complete, we’ll determine which procedures and approaches would be best for your needs, based on your exam information and your responses. Then we’ll sit down with you and explain all your options so you can feel confident you understand not only which procedures are recommended, but why they’re recommended for your specific needs.

Informed choice for better health

We know that having patients who are informed and confident is the number one way to ensure the best and most positive outcome. That’s why we’re committed to working with you throughout every phase of treatment to help you achieve the results you want. We can even help you work with your insurance company and find alternative sources of financing so you can fit the cost of your care into your budget.

Of course, there’s more to smile design than just looking great and feel more self-assured and relaxed in social and professional situations. By addressing poor positioning and other underlying issues, you also can help avoid many of the dental health issues that occur when teeth are crowded, crooked and difficult to clean, including cavities and even tooth loss.

Learning about smile design is easy: Just pick up your phone and give us a call to schedule a consultation, and you can be on your way to a more confident future.