One of the oldest cliches in the book is the “scary” dentist’s office. How many sitcoms have you watched where your favorite character was terrified to go, and sore and mumbling afterwards?

Today, nothing could be further from the truth.

Modern dental surgery is easy and practically painless. Even complicated procedures, like dental implants, are quick and easy, with any post-operative soreness easily managed by simple pain medication (like aspirin or Tylenol). Simple fillings are incredibly routine procedures, often taking less than a half hour to perform. And the dreaded root canal? Today, it’s no more painful than a filling.

And it’s a good thing too. Every day, we see more evidence of the strong link between our oral health and our physical health. Gum disease and poor blood sugar management often seem to go hand-in-hand, with one easily influencing the other, and making proper gum health an absolute necessity for diabetics and pre-diabetics.

But even simpler than that, the quality of our teeth has a direct relationship to the quality of our lives. Missing teeth can certainly make it difficult to enjoy your favorite foods. But they can also make you reluctant to smile, which can have a devastating long-term effect on your psychological health, not to mention your social life and occupational success.

So aesthetic dentistry (cosmetic dentistry) is no longer the “luxury” so many people used to think it. Dental surgery such as implants, bridges, and crowns are making a huge difference in people’s lives — and doing it more easily, more safely, and more painlessly than ever before.

If you’ve been putting off a cosmetic procedure because you think it’s “unnecessary”, or even “indulgent”, take a moment to consider the quality of life you might be missing out on. Since pain is no longer an issue, maybe it’s time for you to get that smile you’ve always wanted, and start showing it off to the world. See this reference for more.