St. Augustine, FL
Whoever said “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” apparently didn’t know about a St. Augustine smile makeover!
A smile is the first thing people notice about a person, and any imperfections in a smile can make a person self-conscious. It keeps us from feeling free to smile and laugh when we’re happy or having photos taken — or perhaps sitting across from someone who could offer us a big job or promotion. This is no way to live.
No matter what imperfections your smile may have, our cosmetic dentist in St. Augustine can correct them.
Let’s take a look today at some of the most common smile imperfections and restorative fixes that we have available at Palencia Dental:
Problem: Stained Teeth
Teeth that are dingy or stained can make a person appear older, and it’s one of the most common reasons people are ashamed to show their teeth when they smile or laugh. It’s also one of the most common complaints we hear from patients in our St. Augustine cosmetic dentist office. Teeth can turn dull or dingy with age and because of staining from foods and beverages we enjoy. Coffee, wine and dark sodas are notorious for staining teeth. Chocolate, tomato sauces and dark berries can turn teeth darker, too.
Solution: Professional Teeth Whitening
Don’t waste your time or money on over-the-counter whitening strips that produce inconsistent results and can burn your gums and make your teeth sensitive. The powerful, professional bleaching agents you’ll receive in our office will dramatically change the shade of your teeth without the common side effects of whitening strips or other at-home treatments.
Problem: Teeth that are Yellow, Too Short, Gapped or Have Minor Crookedness or Imperfections
Under our pearly white, durable tooth enamel is part of the tooth called dentin. The dentin is yellow, so if tooth enamel starts to thin — because of age or certain medications, for instance — the dentin’s yellow color can start to show through the translucent properties of thin enamel. Unfortunately, this is something that professional teeth whitening can’t correct. But the good news is that there is a solution, and it’s the same solution for teeth that are slightly crooked, too short or may be cracked, chipped or broken.
Solution: Veneers
Veneers are thin, durable porcelain shells that our cosmetic dentist can adhere to the surface of teeth to cover minor imperfections, including staining that can’t be corrected by bleaching treatment. Veneers can also conceal a gap between teeth and make a slightly crooked tooth look straight.
Problem: Crooked Teeth or Misaligned Bite
Most people aren’t born with everything it takes to have a perfectly straight, aligned bite with no dental intervention. A misaligned bite can cause bigger problems for oral health, including temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder or bruxism, which is the unconscious clenching or grinding of teeth, generally during sleep. These issues wear down teeth and can cause pain in the jaw and deep in the ears. They can also cause chronic headaches.
Solution: Invisalign
Invisalign is a teeth straightening treatment that was born from recent advancements in dental technology. No longer do older teens and adults have to wear traditional metal braces with their frequent adjustments and awkward brackets and wires that poke the cheeks and mouth. Invisalign uses customized, comfortable, clear plastic aligner trays to straighten teeth is usually half the time it takes braces.
Problem: Missing Teeth
Missing teeth can be an aesthetic problem, making people embarrassed to show their teeth while smiling or laughing. But missing teeth are also notoriously bad for overall oral health. If a tooth is missing, the body naturally starts to reabsorb the jaw bone that once held the tooth. This leads to bone loss and increases the risk of losing more teeth. Missing teeth also impact the face’s structure and the mouth’s functionality.
Solution: Dental Implants
Dental implants have become the dentist-recommended way to restore missing teeth. Since they’re inserted into the jaw, implants stimulate the jaw bone to prevent bone loss. And since they’re the closest restoration to natural teeth, they restore the appearance and function of the smile and mouth.
Cosmetic Dentist in St. Augustine, Florida
Using various treatments to address any imperfection in your smile, cosmetic dentistry can turn your frown upside down. Whether your smile needs to be brightened or whitened, straightened, corrected or filled in, our St. Augustine cosmetic dentist at Palencia Dental has the treatment to correct anything that makes you unhappy. Give us a call at 904-664-5254, or reach out to us online to schedule a consultation today.
