You may look at your smile in the mirror and wish it was more beautiful. But have you ever thought about the factors that actually contribute to an attractive smile? Before you can get your dream set of teeth, it’s important to understand the most important traits of a beautiful grin. Read on to learn about the 5 main attributes that impact the aesthetics of your smile as well as the cosmetic dentistry services that can help!
#1. Tooth Color
The most obvious trait is tooth color—after all, your teeth make up the most significant part of your smile. Over time, teeth become discolored or yellowed due to natural wear and tear as well as eating and drinking foods rich in color or smoking. However, your dentist offers amazing professional teeth whitening to erase stains and brighten your smile. Studies show that whiter teeth allow people to perceive you as more healthy, youthful, successful, and trustworthy!
#2. Gum Display
When you look at your mouth in the mirror, do you like the proportions of your smile? Too little gum display can make your smile look toothy and old. However, too much gum can also make your teeth look too small. Gum recontouring and other cosmetic treatments can be used to help you achieve the smile of your dreams with the right amount of gum display.
#3. Gum Color
Just like your teeth, your gums must be the right color to provide your smile with a nice, beautiful contrast. One of the most common dental issues, gum disease, can cause discoloration, redness, puffiness, and bleeding that takes away from your smile’s overall appearance. Thankfully, this can be treated with scaling and root planing (also known as a deep cleaning) to provide you with a healthy gum color.
#4. Spacing
What’s a nice, white smile without proper spacing? Gaps in between teeth can make your grin look unbalanced, plus it makes cleaning away plaque and bacteria more difficult. Additionally, spaces will typically cause crowding which can impact your overall bite. Orthodontics like Invisalign can straighten your teeth without the hassle, appearance, or discomfort of traditional braces.
#5. Overbite
It sounds strange, but the perfect bite really isn’t perfect. Instead, it’s ideal to have an overbite that slightly extends over your lower teeth. Fun fact: overbite seemed to develop with the infection of the fork, becoming a staple characteristic of what most find attractive in a smile. However, too much overbite can be a problem for your appearance and health.
Now that you know about the main traits of a beautiful smile, are you ready to begin your journey toward a confident grin? Contact your dentist and ask about one or more of these cosmetic services to get started!
Meet the Dentist
Dr. Scott Olson is an experienced dentist who understands dental care is about helping his patients feel AND look good. He offers a variety of high-quality cosmetic services for the most beautiful and lifelike results. He can be contacted through his website or by phone at (417) 823-4900 if you’d like to schedule an appointment!