Solutions Your Dentist Might Recommend When Your Teeth Look Too Small
Do you feel like your teeth look too small for your mouth? It's important to be happy with your smile, since it gives you confidence and allows you to take pride in your overall appearance. Cosmetic dentists can do a lot for patients who feel their teeth appear too small. Here's a look at some of the solutions your dentist might recommend.
Orthodontic Devices
Sometimes the problem might not really be that your teeth are too small, but rather that they have not emerged fully from your gums. They might also be rotated slightly, which makes them appear smaller than they really are since you don't see the entire front surface of the tooth. Orthodontic devices, like braces, can help with both of these problems. You will typically need traditional braces, since invisible aligners are better at moving teeth from side to side than at pulling them downward or rotating them. However, some patients are able to get braces that fit onto the backs of the teeth, rather than the front, to minimize the metal-mouth appearance. Braces made from white or clear porcelain are also an option.
Gum Reduction Procedures
Is the problem really that your teeth look too short, even though they are wide enough? It could be that you have too much gum tissue in your mouth. Your dentist may recommend a procedure to remove the excess gum tissue, which will reveal more of your teeth and make them look larger. This is a minor surgical procedure that's typically performed with a local anesthetic only. (You'll be awake, but numb, while the dentist works.) Though you'll have to stick to soft foods for a few days, you'll heal up within a week or two.
Veneers
If your teeth truly are too small for your mouth and manipulating them won't fix the problem, then you might opt to have them covered in veneers. These are thin sheets of porcelain or composite material that slip over the fronts of your natural teeth. When someone looks at you, they will see only the (larger) veneers, and not your (smaller) teeth behind them. When you wear veneers, you have to be careful not to each crunchy foods or drink beverages that might stain them. However, most patients adapt to them quickly, and they typically have a very natural look.
Don't go on suffering with teeth that look too small. Talk to your dentist to learn more about corrective options. Contact a dentist like John P Poovey DMD PC to learn more.