February is National Dental Health Month – a great time to take stock and pay attention to your smile!
Your smile creates an immediate, subconscious, visual impact on people you meet. A brighter smile gives the impression of youth, vitality, radiant health, happiness, and warmth. A bright smile with straight teeth is perceived as a healthy smile. Teeth whitening remains one of the most economical ways to enhance your smile.
According to an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) survey, statistics reveal that people place a high value on smiles:
Virtually all adults (99.7%) believe a smile is an important social asset. 96% of adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to members of the opposite sex.
Three-quarters (74%) of adults feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chance for career success.
Study participants were asked, “What would you like to improve most about your smile?” The most common response was: whiter & brighter teeth.
Mainly genetics, antibiotics, and certain foods cause darkened teeth, plus teeth tend to darken as we age. The main causes of internal tooth discoloration are exposure to high levels of fluoride, tetracycline, use of antibiotics as a child, developmental disorders, tooth decay, restorations, root canal issues, and trauma. The main causes of external tooth yellowing are smoking, foods with tannins, coffee, tea, carrots, oranges, and other foods.
There are various ways to whiten your teeth, but the two most common are in-office treatment and the do-it-yourself approach, with over the counter products. Here at Scott Finlay DDS & Associates, teeth whitening consultation and services are available.
More than just another pretty smile, straight teeth also mean good dental health. Crooked teeth make difficult to brush or floss properly, allowing plaque and debris to build up which can lead to cavities and gum disease. Dr. Finlay’s office offers several treatment options for crooked teeth with or without braces.
One popular orthodontic solution that is an alternative to metal braces is Invisalign®, which takes a modern approach to straightening teeth, using a custom-made series of aligners created specifically for you. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible plastic that you wear over your teeth. Wearing the aligners will gradually and gently shift your teeth into place. There are no metal brackets to attach and no wires to tighten. You just pop in a new set of aligners approximately every two weeks, until your treatment is complete. The best part about the whole process is that most people won’t even know you are straightening your teeth.
Do yourself a favor and celebrate National Dental Health Month by giving your smile a boost to improve your self-esteem as well as your oral health. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Finlay who specializes in both general and cosmetic dentistry to design you the perfect smile.