Thinking of Improving your Smile for the New Year? Often times patient would like a smile makeover but have no idea where to begin. I have found out over the years that patients often have many questions that go unanswered simply because they may be embarrassed. I wanted to put out a few helpful answers to some of the questions I often get asked.
1. Professional Cleaning and Comprehensive Examination: Your first step in building a great dental relationship with your mouth and your dentist. The best way to begin a smile makeover is to have a great foundation to build it upon. With healthy teeth and gums anything is possible.
2. Treatment Diagnosis and Planning: Your second step to achieving your dream smile is understanding the when’s and whys to your treatment plan. For most people this does not happen overnight. Most treatment plans may extend over multiple visits to complete this process. Along with most dental treatments comes out of pocket expenses. It is best to review your dental budget to see if your smile makeover is possible. Many offices offer outside financing that will reduce your out of pocket expense to a monthly payment instead of all upfront at one time.
3. Whitening: Almost everyone would like a whiter smile but what many patients do not understand is that there are many factors that play into what result will be achieved with whitening. Each patient’s dental situation is different. Some patients receive optimum results while others only whiten slightly, while others have dental restorations already in place on the front teeth that will never lighten. It is important to ask your dentist if whitening is the right choice for you.
4. Straight Teeth: This is another choice patients often enquire about. Again, each patient’s dental situation is different. Straightening your smile can be done in multiple ways, traditional braces, invisalign, veneers, etc. A lot of patients do not realize that in order to straighten your teeth your mouth needs to be at its healthiest state. Which means any restorations or periodontal issues left undone will be a key factor if your mouth is ready for any straightening method.
5. Missing Teeth: Many patients come through the office looking to replace the missing tooth they had removed for whatever reasons it may be. Typically, there are two options for missing teeth thus being Dental Implants or a Fixed Bridge. Dental Implants are always a good choice for a healthy smile because no other teeth need to be touched to place an Implant. With a fixed bridge, the two adjacent to the missing tooth will need to be prepared for the bridge. This option can be a good choice though for patients whom already have restorations on those two adjacent teeth.
It is always best to take the time to discuss your treatment concerns with your dentist. If you would like to consult with Superior Family Dental, please call us at 248-539-3088 to schedule an appointment.
As always, we thank you for being part of our practice family!
