It is normal to feel incredibly self-conscious about your teeth. Adults day in and day out feel embarrassed of the condition of their teeth, whether warranted or not. Many individuals go as far as to avoid social gatherings, even feeling great amounts of anxiety. And it is completely normal! Your smile is one of the first features an individual may notice so it is only natural to feel like changing that for a better first impression. Luckily, there are a surprising number of options an individual can invest in for the smile they feel the most comfortable and confident with.

Let us start with the less severe method for the least amount of work wanted: teeth whitening. Teeth whitening has been popular for as long as its been used. Stains on your teeth fall under two categories: extrinsic or intrinsic. Have stains that are rooted deep in your teeth? Those are intrinsic stains. Have stains that are only on the surface? You have yourself extrinsic stains. To put it simply, the bleach used penetrates the enamel of your teeth deeply and removing intrinsic and extrinsic stains. Tooth whitening toothpaste is excellent for removing extrinsic stains but for those elusive intrinsic stains, you will need the aid of teeth whitening bleach.

The more drastic option for teeth that may not need removed but are crooked, then you will want to invest in braces. Simply put, braces are attached to your teeth that slowly shift your teeth’s position into the desired location. However, your decision on braces has now split between the original metal, or resin, braces to the optional choice of Invisalign.

Invisalign® work the same way braces do but without having them stuck to your teeth. The 3-D imaging technology used is able to calculate the original place of your teeth to your teeth’s final goal. This can be a great alternative if you have children participating in sports since braces have been known to cut an individual’s mouth.

For the most drastic change, full dentures have been employed for individuals that have usually lost the use of their original teeth. In some cases, an individual may not need full dentures but instead only need partial dentures which only fit to the top or bottom. Before an individual is fitted with full dentures or partial dentures, dental care and gum treatments are employed first. This prepares the gums for the dentures.

Whether it is implants, teeth whitening or dentures, the first step to improving your teeth is taking care of them! Oftentimes you will not be able to move forward with any cosmetic treatments until your mouth is healthy and ready.