Change your smile, change your life
Your smile, it could be argued, is one of the most important qualities you possess. It is what you present to the world, and plays a significant factor in almost every human interaction that you are involved in. As such, those who have teeth which are discoloured, disjointed or overlapping can often struggle in social situations, which in turn, can have a damaging effect on the way they feel. However, those who do have minor, superficial issues with their teeth which they feel are impairing their social lives, need only visit a dental clinic in W1 to take back control over the way their smile looks and the way they are perceived by others and change their lives for the better.
Discreet orthodontics
For those who have teeth which are misaligned or crooked, often causing social anxiety to arise when meeting new people, there are numerous different forms of discreet orthodontics available which can allow them to achieve a straighter smile, without attracting any unwarranted scrutiny. At one time orthodontics, whilst effective, usually meant that those who were undergoing treatment, (which could often last around twelve months), usually had to sacrifice their outward appearance. Today however, treatments like Invisalign allow patients to get a straighter looking smile, in a far shorter time frame and without attracting any unwanted attention.
This is achieved by creating a custom-fitted retainer out of a see-through plastic material called SmartTrack. Each retainer is fitted with a pressure point on the interior of it, which gently moves the patient’s teeth back to where they ought to be, over time. One of the main appeals of the Invisalign method of orthodontics is the obvious advantage of discretion, as because the retainers are tailored to fit over the patient’s teeth snugly, and because the retainer is made using a transparent material, it becomes nearly impossible to detect. Another advantage is that the retainer can be taken out whenever the patient wishes – unlike more conventional orthodontics which are generally fixed in place on the patient’s teeth.
Cosmetic whitening
Another treatment which can have a truly transformative effect on the self-esteem of those who decide to undergo it, is cosmetic whitening. This is the name for the process in which a patient’s teeth are professionally whitened through the use of a safe, dentally approved peroxide-based gel. Although home-whitening kits can be easily purchased online, many of these are unsafe and have too high a peroxide level, meaning that they can damage a patient’s enamel. Through a dental practice however, patients can receive both home-whitening kits and in-practice whitening. Both initially involve a mould be taken of the patient’s teeth, into which the peroxide-based gel is placed. With in-practice whitening, the dental practitioner may also shine a UV light onto the retainer containing the gel. This activates the bleaching ingredients within it, which acts almost immediately in removing any amount of superficial marks or discolouration on the surface enamel of the patient’s teeth – allowing them to leave with a whiter smile in a matter of hours. Dentist approved home-whitening kits achieve similar results, although over a course of around two weeks, and without the UV light. The benefits of this though, is that whitening can be carried out at the patient’s leisure.
