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SMILE CULTURE
These days most of us can expect to live to an advanced age - and keep our natural teeth.
However, it's little consolation having your own teeth if they look worn, stained and old, indeed most people want
attractive teeth as well as natural teeth. So exactly what is
considered attractive when it comes to teeth? And how can a cosmetic
dentist help you achieve this?
Today, 60-year-olds often look fitter and healthier than their
grandparents did at 40. In the affluent West, many people can expect
to live to 90 or beyond - and expect to keep their own teeth too.
They are also doing more to have a nice smile.
What's the most important and powerful expression you can show a
person whom you love or are attracted to? It's your smile. Your eyes
and mouth are the two areas that people notice most. Why else, after
all, would women apply lipstick? If a woman has unattractive teeth,
what is the point in drawing attention to the lips? Your smile,
therefore, is all-powerful.
How much of our teeth do we show naturally?
When speaking, many people reveal only the bottom and a little of the
top teeth - although it depends on the shape of each individual
mouth. As we smile, we draw our cheek muscles back and show more top
teeth as well as side and back teeth. When we laugh, we even show the
chewing surfaces of the teeth inside the mouth. We do it without
thinking.
The English, with their stiff-upper-lip tradition, however, are more
inclined to hide their teeth - which is often justified because the
teeth are in poor condition. In contrast, many Americans aspire to a
wide toothy Hollywood smile. A natural smile falls somewhere between
the two.
Women tend to have a higher lip line than men, showing not only all
their upper teeth when they smile but a lot of pink gum as well. An
open, uninhibited smile and certainly an unrestrained laugh will
often display 24 out of the maximum of 32 teeth. That's a lot of
tooth area if your teeth aren't your best asset.
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What is attractive in today's culture?
Nowadays, natural-looking teeth are deemed the most attractive. Metal
teeth (either silver or gold) are outmoded as are false-looking
square bits of white ivory and missing teeth.
We all aspire to beautiful teeth that look natural and youthful. You
want people to think that nature has given you a most fortunate gift
- like having clear skin, lovely eyes or a beautiful figure. Teeth
certainly should not look as if they were the product of some
dentist's handiwork.
What is beautiful then? To my mind it is well-proportioned teeth,
naturally light and bright, that have a harmony with the lips, face,
build and personality of their owner. Symmetry is important, but
perfection is not. Natural teeth always have small imperfections -
which should be recreated in any cosmetic dentistry work.
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What can be done for you?
Small changes can have a dramatic effect, as you can see from the
before- and after-pictures on the www.kensingtondental.com web site. Many
people are still unaware of how modern dentistry can help them. What
are the options? How much do they cost? What is involved in each
treatment plan? It's often unclear.
I don't think that the dental profession can absolve itself of
responsibility - because a dental visit is the right time when such
points should be discussed. Many dentists don't have the time to
practice anything other than 'crisis management/ patchwork' dentistry
(you know, the 'let's get your filling done and think about other
issues later' approach).
Other dentists, even many top practitioners, are too focused on the
technical side and not sufficiently skilled in aesthetic matters.
They won't discuss aesthetics unless the patient asks them - and even
then, they may not be enthusiastic about it. The trouble is that when
it comes to cosmetic or aesthetic dentistry, few people know what to
ask for or even how to ask for it.
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What's special about a cosmetic dentist?
Cosmetic/aesthetic dentistry needs a certain flair, as well as a lot
of practice. It's a familiar pattern in any profession. Would you
expect your GP doctor to do a nose job on you, or your family lawyer
to advise you on a complex commercial matter? To be really good, a
cosmetic dentist should combine superb technical skills, a sense of
art and be a great communicator. After all, once the dentist sees
what can be done, he or she has to be able to transmit that
information in a way that patients can visualize for themselves |
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How cosmetic dentistry can help you
Awareness on one side and special skills on the other create an
attractive smile. Good dentists - either specialists or those who
have developed a strong interest, experience and success in the field
of aesthetic or cosmetic dentistry - can advise you.
Modern dentistry provides many innovative solutions that were hardly
known even a decade ago. Consult with cosmetic/aesthetic dental
specialists to see how you can have the appearance that you always
wanted for yourself, whether this is a minor correction or the full
works.
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