For millions of people, improving their smile with orthodontic treatment is medically important.
Getting braces or some other teeth straightening option has brightened lots of smiles, and for many of those people, correcting their malocclusions was integral to maintaining their overall health.
Sometimes, though, a less than perfect smile is merely a cosmetic issue instead of a medical one.
Orthodontic treatment still has a positive impact on a patient’s health in these cases – both physical and mental – even if it’s not strictly necessary.
In these cases, concerns over finances or discomfort cause some people to forego orthodontic treatment. Working on a better smile would be great, but braces aren’t always the right choice for everyone.
Not to worry. It’s possible to get a better smile without braces or other orthodontic treatments.
Here’s how:
3 Tricks for a Better Smile Without Braces
Whether it’s the cost, the comfort, or some other reason you’re hesitant to pursue orthodontia to improve your smile, you have alternatives.
1: Floss More Often
Was the dentist the last person to floss your teeth?
You might not know this, but flossing keeps your teeth significantly whiter, your gums much healthier, and your breath fresher.
Flossing after each meal (and doing it correctly) goes a long way towards making your smile more attractive and keeping your teeth and gums healthy.
Be sure to use a long enough piece of floss that you can use a different segment between each tooth, and really get in there and floss from multiple angles. You’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes to your smile.
2: Talk to Your Dentist About Gum Contouring
Crooked teeth aren’t the only reason that you might not be satisfied with your smile.
Some people have a gummy smile, meaning that when they flash a wide grin, their gums cover more of their teeth than they’d like. This can make teeth look smaller, and many people feel that it makes their mouth look unusually juvenile.
Gum contouring is a cosmetic procedure that reshapes the gums to expose more of a person’s teeth.
You might hear this procedure referred to as a gum lift, and it is a form of cosmetic surgery that’s usually performed with a laser. Your dentist will likely use a local anesthetic, and there will be a short recovery time to heal.
3: Fix Chips, Gaps, and Shape with Aesthetic Bonding
Maybe your smile is pretty good, except for one little issue like a chipped tooth or a gap between two teeth. Bonding might be the best solution to fix your smile.
Bonding is often the best solution for an unusually small tooth (called a peg) or a tooth that is misshapen for any reason, whether it’s genetic or chipped, because you can quickly change the shape of a tooth without invasive procedures.
Sometimes aesthetic bonding is used to correct gapped teeth by slightly widening the teeth on either side of the gap to reduce the appearance of the space between without needing orthodontic treatment.
It’s far more cost effective than solutions like porcelain veneers, and you probably won’t even need an anesthetic.
Check With Your Orthodontist For Options to Get a Better Smile
Before you rule out orthodontic treatment completely, schedule an appointment to discuss your options.
Talk about your concerns and hesitations, and ask for available alternatives that will help you get a better smile on your terms. Every situation is a little different, and so is every mouth. There might be more options than you realize.