For a bride, there is so much to remember when planning the wedding — invitations, a dress, flowers, the site, the caterers, the cake, the photographer — the list goes on and on. In the midst of all these things, don't let a very important piece of the plan be forgotten — your smile!

Your wedding will be celebrated every year on your anniversary and commemorated in beautiful photos at any time. It is a special occasion you, your family, and your friends will always remember. But how will you and your family look in those photos? You have an opportunity to get makeovers that will make your smiles shine radiantly, and not only in your album. Your makeover will improve your appearance, your self-confidence, and your oral health far into the future.

Start with a visit to your dentist to assess your current situation and discuss your goals and dreams. Each person's situation will be different. At a minimum you may need a professional cleaning to make sure that your teeth and gums are healthy. Get started on treating any cavities or gingivitis (gum inflammation). If you haven't already, now is a great time to establish healthy dental hygiene habits including proper daily brushing and flossing.

You may feel that your teeth are discolored and need to be whiter and brighter. Your upper and lower jaws may not meet properly for the most effective biting and chewing. Your teeth may be crowded or misshapen. All these things and more can be modified and repaired with today's dentistry.

Teeth can be whitened by bleaching in the dentist's office or with products that can be used at home under a dentist's supervision.

Orthodontia may be needed to repair your bite. Today orthodontia may be done either with traditional braces, or with clear aligners. Remember that this process works slowly, so start well in advance of your wedding day.

After your teeth are properly aligned, your dental team can work on subtle contouring, overall shape and color changes for individual teeth, using techniques such as porcelain laminate veneers. Temporary veneers can be made so that you can try out your new look before the final installation.

Wedding planning works best when started early. To make sure you, your new spouse, and your family look and feel their best, remember to include smile makeovers in your plan.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your questions about wedding smile makeovers. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Wedding Day Smiles.”

Being unhappy with your smile can impact your life in ways that you might not even realize. Are you awkward in social situations that require smiling? Do you shy away from becoming romantically involved? You may even miss out on a better job because you don't want to be forced to endure a live interview for fear of smiling!

If you've decided that the time is right to regain some self-confidence by having your smile redesigned, we can help. We will begin with a consultation, during which we will discuss a number of factors that will influence the process and the final result of your smile makeover including:

• What do you want from a new smile?
• How do you want your new teeth to look?
• How we can use photographs and computer simulations to show you what your new smile will look like before we even start.
• How we work with dental technicians to test shapes, sizes, and colors to personalize teeth so that they closely match your natural teeth.
• How we use “customized temporary restorations” to let you test-drive the look and feel of the final crowns and veneers so that we can guarantee success.

We can even show you “before and after” photos taken of our many patients throughout the course of their makeovers. And, of course, we will discuss the costs to you with respect to both time and money based on the extent and type of work that is necessary to give you your ideal smile.

The tools that are now at our disposal can make the entire smile redesign process an essentially painless and highly creative collaboration that includes constant interaction between you, us, and dental laboratory technicians as we all work together to create your new smile. If you think you are ready to start exploring the possibilities, please call our office to set up a consultation. To learn more about cosmetic dentistry, read the Dear Doctor magazine article “Cosmetic Dentistry: A Time For Change.”

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” or cover that we place over a tooth that is badly damaged from trauma or decay to restore its shape, strength, size and functionality. We also use them for cosmetic reasons to improve a tooth's appearance with natural, life-like results. Crowns are generally handcrafted by dental laboratory technicians using high-quality dental porcelains (ceramic materials) that are made to fit on precise replicas (molds) of the prepared teeth. In our office, we generally make temporary crowns to protect the teeth to keep them comfortable and functional while the permanent crown(s) is being made. And once a crown is placed (cemented into position), it fully encases the entire visible portion of the tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

When Are They Necessary?

There are many reasons a crown may be needed. Some of these include:

• To repair a tooth that is worn down, broken or badly damaged by decay or injury.
• To restore a tooth so severely damaged by decay that the tooth's structure is no longer intact enough to place a filling or where a filling can't restore the tooth to its former strength.
• To protect a tooth that has minor cracks or fractures from further damage.
• To create a bridge to replace a missing tooth, in which the teeth on either side, known as abutments, must be “crowned” to attach to the “pontic” (from the French word, “pont” that means bridge).
• To create the visible part of the tooth that sits atop a dental implant.
• To improve the appearance of a tooth providing a more appealing shape and color.

To learn more on this topic, read the Dear Doctor article, “Porcelain Crowns & Veneers.” You can also contact us to discuss your questions or to schedule a consultation.