Characteristics of Award-Winning Smiles

Openany magazine, flip on the television or study the big screen and you will seecountless bright, white, award-winning smiles looking back at you. But perfectsmiles are not reserved just for celebrities and wealthy individuals; you mayeven regard your co-workers’, friends’, family members or neighbors’ grins withenvy. Cosmetic dentistryhas made it possible for anyone to gain a beautiful, healthy smile.

What constitutes anaward-winning smile?

Everyonehas heard the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Likewise,everyone has their own opinions of what characteristics a “perfect” smile wouldhave. Cosmetic dentists must work with patients to understand each individual’sexpectations in order to determine which procedures will have the desiredeffect.   

Cosmeticdentists are artisans as well as technologically-savvy doctors. The mostexperienced dentists, such as those who have post-graduate training from the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced DentalStudies (LVI), take this artistry to a whole new level. In order tocreate outstanding smiles, these dentists evaluate everything from thepatient’s current dental health and condition of the teeth to the patient’s facialfeatures. The goal is to give each patient a natural-looking smile that complementsthe patient’s facial structure. 

What procedures cancreate award-winning smiles?

Thereare dozens of dental procedures that skilled cosmeticdentists use to help restore damaged or imperfect teeth. Some of the mostcommon procedures include:

• Porcelain veneers: Thin shells bonded to the front of imperfect teeth
• Porcelain crowns: Caps placed over existing severely damaged teeth
• Dental bonding: Tooth-like resin that is shaped to look and act like normal teeth
• Tooth whitening: Professional in-office or at-home treatments
• Porcelain fillings: A natural-looking alternative to silver amalgam fillings
• Tooth contouring: Techniques to reshape teeth that are too long, thin, pointy, uneven, etc.
• Gum contouring: Removal of gum tissue to create better gum/teeth harmony
• Dental Implants: Artificial replacements for damaged or missing tooth roots which act as anchors for replacement teeth or dentures
• Dentures and partials: Removable replacement teeth

Why is a “perfect”smile so desirable?

TheAmerican Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry references research recently conductedby Beall Research & Training of Chicago which stated “a new smile will makeyou appear more intelligent, interesting, successful and wealthy to others.”While not everyone will have this type of response to a person with a dazzlingsmile, consumer studies have shown that people with straight, white teeth are regardedas attractive.

Thereis no doubt that most people who make the decision to undergo cosmetic dentistryprocedures from experienced dentists express feelings of increasedself-confidence with their new smiles.