Everyone wants a beautiful smile. It’s the thing that can catch the right person’s eye, spark a friendship, help nail a job interview, and most importantly, express happiness. However hardly anyone is born with the perfect smile, and while everyone should ideally wear theirs with confidence no matter what, we do now have the technology available to us that can aide in shaping a brighter smile. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry claims that an astonishing number of Americans, 99.7% in fact, hold the belief that one significant social quality is a smile. And whether one is looking to correct yellowed or chipped teeth, or those that are missing or not symmetrical, these days there are a multitude of methods and choices in dental technologies. The best way to figure out what would be the best fit for your smile is to ask a dentist.

What is a cosmetic dentist?
You are probably familiar with the work that dentists usually do. Professional dental cleaning, root canal treatment, filling cavities. The main concern is the health of your teeth and gums. A cosmetic dentist also focuses on the aesthetic value of your smile. Some typical cosmetic procedures might be bleaching for a whiter smile, bonding discolored or chipped teeth, covering the teeth with crowns or veneers, or contouring and reforming for a straighter, smoother appearance.

Advancements over the ages
Dentistry has been around not only for centuries, but millennia. There have been many archaelogical discoveries of dental work throughout history, the first being from about 14,000 years ago — an infected tooth that had been partly cleaned with a stone tool. We as a species, and eventually as modern societies, have improved and advanced leaps and bounds since the first scraping of a tooth with a piece of sharpened flint. One of the most impressive advancements is Ceramic Reconstruction, also referred to as Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, or the abbreviated CEREC. A CEREC dentist Kirkland uses computer-aided design and manufacturing to produce the necessary ceramic elements for restorations in a single appointment, making it efficient both financially and time-wise. A CEREC dentist Kirkland will apply knowledge that was developed recently enough to use modern technology but long enough ago that it has been well established, as it was created about 30 years ago at the University of Zurich.

Whatever your dental needs, there is a procedure for you, whether it involves a simple cleaning or a high-tech CEREC dentist Kirkland. But most importantly, remember that your smile is part of what makes you who you are, so wear it with pride!