Something bothering you about your smile? 

Wanting to correct a cosmetic issue is completely natural. Studies show more than 1/3 of people are unhappy with their smile. This makes sense considering the appearance of your smile plays a huge role in your self-confidence.

The problem is when people view cosmetic improvements as strictly self-indulgent. In reality, fixing your smile is good for your health and wellbeing!

How your smile affects your quality of life

What’s the first thing you notice about someone? Often, it’s their smile. People are noticing your smile, too. So if you don’t like your teeth, you may feel embarrassed or uncomfortable in social situations.

Countless studies have been conducted on this topic. Time and time again, research tells us a beautiful smile is linked to greater self-confidence and happiness. People who have a great smile are more confident, less anxious, and tend to enjoy life more. 

When you’re not afraid to flash your smile, you’ll experience a host of other lifestyle benefits:

  • Makes you look younger — In a way, a beautiful smile is kind of like a mini facelift. Turning up the corners of your mouth naturally raises your entire face, including your cheeks and neck.
  • Elevates your mood — Behavioral psychologists note that when you smile, your brain releases dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin — your body’s own feel-good potion. In fact, 1 researcher found a smile can even generate the same amount of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate!
  • Improves relationships — Smiles are contagious. Your beautiful smile has the power to light up a room and help others feel good about themselves and about knowing you. A good smile is also proven to help you appear more trustworthy and approachable. In your career and family life, smiling is shown to help you succeed.

The link between your smile and your health

How cosmetic dentistry issues hurt your health

Unattractive teeth don’t always equal unhealthy teeth, but they can and often do! Your smile should make you feel amazing — both emotionally and physically. But even if you’re not in pain, it doesn’t mean your smile isn’t causing problems for your health.

Dark teeth

Stained and yellow teeth are pretty common. Things like drinking a lot of coffee and wine, certain medications, and family genetics all play a role in changing the shade of your teeth. Most of the time, discoloration isn’t going to hurt them. However, if you notice dark spots on your teeth, you might be dealing with tooth decay.

Tooth decay can cause a variety of complications. Left untreated, you may experience an ongoing toothache, a tooth abscess, infection around the tooth, greater risk of breaking your tooth, and difficulty chewing your food.

Thankfully, a small cavity can be easily corrected with a white composite filling while larger cavities may benefit from a larger filling, or dental crown. All three of these cosmetic treatment options not only restore your beautiful, natural-looking smile but keep you healthy, too.

Crooked teeth

Often, when people think of “a perfect smile” they envision one that’s perfectly straight. Straight teeth do more than just look nice, though. Many people don’t realize that correcting crooked teeth, closing gaps, and eliminating crowding is also good for your long-term dental health.

By straightening your teeth, you…

  • Decrease your risk of tooth decay and gum disease
  • Make it easier to properly brush and floss your teeth
  • Reduce TMJ pain and chronic headaches
  • Protect the longevity of your teeth and gums

Chipped, cracked, and broken teeth

Improving your smile is good for your health

It can feel a little embarrassing to live with a chipped or cracked tooth. You deserve to feel comfortable in your smile! But it’s more than that. A damaged tooth will only get worse over time. Left alone, it can cause serious issues for your dental and overall health.

Two of the most common problems associated with chipped, cracked, and broken teeth include:

  1. Tooth decay and infection — Damaged teeth are highly susceptible to bacteria. These teeth are more difficult to keep clean and often develop cavities. It’s not uncommon for bacteria to sneak into the pulp of your tooth and even into your supporting gum and bone.
  2. Pain and discoloration —  Damage to a tooth will often affect the health of your tooth’s nerve. This is very painful. And as your nerve begins to slowly die, you may notice your tooth turning a darker color.

If you’re dealing with this issue, you have options for fixing it. Your dentist may recommend a crown, veneers, or bonding. Or, if the tooth is severely damaged, a dental implant may be the best option to restore the look and health of your smile.

Missing teeth

Missing teeth are one of the most problematic cosmetic issues we help our patients with. First of all, living with a missing tooth isn’t easy. It will absolutely affect the appearance of your smile, but it will also make it more difficult to eat and speak normally. 

In addition to these lifestyle factors, missing teeth are bad on your health. When a tooth is lost, here’s what happens:

  • You’ll begin to suffer from resorption, the sunken-face look. This happens when your jaw bone beneath the missing tooth is no longer supported by your tooth and begins to dissolve — a process known as resorption.
  • Neighboring teeth may begin to shift and move.
  • Brushing and flossing will become more difficult, and you may find food stuck in the missing tooth cavity.
  • You’ll be at an increased risk of decay and gum disease.

Missing teeth are no joke and are absolutely worth your time and investment to correct. A high-tech dental implant is the best way to restore missing teeth and improve your health, function, and smile.

Cosmetic treatments at Timberhill Dental

Timberhill Dental team

At Timberhill Dental, we want to help you feel proud and confident about your smile. More than that, we want your smile to be the healthiest it can be. We offer high-tech cosmetic treatments to restore your smile and improve your health.

Talk to us about what’s bothering you about your smile. We’ll help you understand why improving your smile is an investment in both your happiness and your health.