This week’s article, Bullying: Nothing To Smile About, focused on a study done by the American Academy of Orthodontist (AAO) that found that a peron’s smile is a primary reson for bullying. Bullying, in any form, is unacceptable. Social pressure is changing the public’s view of bullying. The awarness will eventually create great change, but to this point it is a part of life, and an ugly part at that. Bullying will never disappear, and if a person’s smile is a source for bullying that an individual may wish to take steps to change the cause of the bullying. The AAO study mentioned four categories of a person’s smile as a cause for being bullied. The last one, “Buck Teeth”, will be the center of our blog today.
“Buck Teeth”, or prominent front teeth, can be from many different sources. In kids, the most likely cause is just the teeth coming in. Parents often question how teeth are coming in while in our St Augustine dental office. Teeth take their own path when coming into place. There is a typical or normal path, but there are many different ways to get to the same destination. As the teeth come in, they may want to take a more forward, or flared approach. That’s fine, but in the world of Hollywood smiles some parents may have a tendency to find this somewhat unnatractive or cause for concern. Typically is not a cause for concern. But poorly positioned teeth can be a source for bullies. Most of the time these flared teeth will correct themselves in few months.
From time to time they do not, and it becomes a normal part of a person’s smile. When that occurs, and an individual wishes to change this, there are two options. The first option is using Invisalign. Invisalign is a series of clear plastic trays that help straighten and align the teeth. There are no metal brackets or wires like you would find with traditional braces, and treatment times are typically signficantly less than with traditional braces. The great part is when you put your Invisalign trays in, almost no one will know you are wearing them. So you do not have to be worried about someone bullying over that.
Another option for adults are dental porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are thin porcelain covers for the front of our teeth. If someone wanted an instant fix for their “Buck Teeth”, this would be it. We can actually create porcelain veneers in a single visit. So there would be no return trip and we wouldn’t even need any messy dental impressions to make them. After placing the porcelain veneers we could even use Zoom teeth whitening to whiten the surrounding teeth if desire for a complete St Augustine smile makeover. And we could do this at the same appointment as your veneers, so again it can all be done in one trip to your World Golf Village dentist.
It is possible that your teeth appear more prominent due to gum and bone loss around the teeth, known as periodontal disease. It’s possible you had an accident as a child that has loosened the teeth as well. If the teeth cannot be saved in either of these situations, a dental implant may be necessary. Dental implants are artificial tooth roots with a dental crown placed on top. You care for it just like your natural teeth, and it is the best way to replace a missing tooth. If many of your teeth are like this, it is possible you may need a cosmetic denture. Your St Augustine cosmetic dentist can make one for you. And if you are afraid of it coming out or not being able to eat your favorite foods, our SNAP Implant Denture may be the answer.
Bullying has gotten way out of hand. Social pressure is starting to change this, but all change is slow, and bullying will never completely disappear. Some individuals may wish to take matters into their own hands and change the source of their bullying. That is why it is important to know what options your St Augustine cosmetic dentist has, and that was the point of this weeks blogs, to know that if there is something you wanted to change about your smile, you can. This is not for everyone, and we know that, but for some, it might provide them the relief they are looking for. If you would like to make an appointment, or ask a question, please call (904)940-3933