The long, hot days of summer are perfect for lounging by the pool with friends or planning a staycation at home in the air conditioning to beat the heat. Plus, with school out of session and employees scheduling time away from work, you are likely to have the time you need to finally schedule that cosmetic dental procedure you’ve been procrastinating.
Continue reading to learn 3 ways your dentist can help you enhance your smile this season so that you’ll be ready to put your best foot forward when things pick back up in the fall!
Upgrade #1: Teeth Whitening
One of the first things others notice about you is the quality of your grin, but if your enamel looks more yellow or brown than pearly white, you’re unlikely to make a positive impression. You might feel tempted to try removing stains with store-bought products, but these tend to have diluted bleaches that are less effective and can cause sensitivity.
Fortunately, your dentist uses ultra-concentrated gels designed to mitigate sensitivity to lighten your smile safely. Furthermore, your laid-back summer schedule gives you plenty of time to achieve the perfect hue. A single in-office visit can brighten it by up to eight shades, or you can opt for a take-home kit with professional-grade materials and custom-fitted applicator trays for incredible results from the comfort of your living room.
Upgrade #2: Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers continue to gain popularity as an incredibly diverse treatment that can address one or several aesthetic concerns with your teeth. These thin, ceramic shells are customized to be the right shape, size, and shade to match your enamel, then are cemented to the fronts of your teeth to mask problem areas. They’re a convenient way to hide chips, cracks, mild gaps, slight misalignments, and stubborn stains
However, it can take a couple of appointments over several weeks to complete the process from start to finish, and it involves thinning your enamel for the shells to fit correctly. Then, it can take a week or two once they’re placed to acclimate to their presence. Some patients develop a mild lisp during this time, but thankfully, there’s plenty of time over the summer to overcome any altered speech patterns resulting from this treatment.
Upgrade #3: Cosmetic Bonding
If you have damaged teeth but veneers are out of your price range, then you might be a good candidate for dental bonding. This procedure involves placing color-matched composite resin onto your enamel to fix injuries, hide discoloration, or reshape your tooth to perfect your appearance. This material is then hardened with an ultraviolet light and can last 10 to 15 years with the proper care.
The flexibility of relaxed summer days gives you plenty of time to enhance your smile so that you look and feel like the most attractive version of yourself when the usual routine resumes this autumn!
Meet the Author
Dr. Donna Kiesel has more than 35 years of experience helping patients improve their lives by enhancing their dental health. She earned her dental degree at the Baylor College of Dentistry and is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Dental Association, so you can trust that your grin is in good hands. She provides a comprehensive menu of services using state-of-the-art technology to improve your comfort while delivering accurate, long-lasting results. You can request a cosmetic consultation on the website or call (972) 420-4488.