Check Your Smile

» Spaces between your front teeth
If you have spacing or diastema between your front teeth, have it checked, particularly if it hasn’t always been there. Such spaces can grow larger and larger, indicating a problem such as gum disease or a bad habit such as tongue thrusting. If no such problem exists and you don’t like the diastema one can be cose it by using a tooth colored filling material , by veeneers or orthodontic treament as desired by the patient

» Anterior two teeth too long
The Front teeth should be about 1.5- 2 mm longer than the adjacent lateral incisor. They are too long if they are longer than this.

» Anterior two teeth protrude
Protrusion of teeth results in a ugly smile.Can be corrected with cosmetic contouring combined with laminating procedures depending on the nature of the protrusion.

» Anterior teeth crowded or overlapping
Can be corrected either by orthodontics repositioning or esthetic reshaping and veneering.

» Color and stains on your teeth
smile could be ugly. External stains go away by normal scaling of teeth Minor internal stains by bleaching.Major Intrinsic stains require veneering or caps.

» Fillings do not match colour of your teeth
Tooth culored fillings in the front teeth that matched perfectly when they were placed may not look as good after a few years. Certain food can stain these fillings as can habits like smoking and drinking coffee and tea. You may need more frequent professional cleaning or replacement.

» Are you lower six front teeth even in appearance?
Uneven lower teeth with one or more teeth longer others can be distraction when you speak. Through cosmetic contouring, the teeth can often be reshaped to appear even.

» Do the necks of your teeth indicate erosion or ditched in ‘V’ that can be seen or felt with your finger nails?
These deformities can progress rapidly, resulting in tooth disculoration and sensitivity. However they usually can be corrected easily and esthetically with composite resin bonding the primary advantage. However is that such tooth repair prevents further erosion and possible damage to the nerve.

» Are your gums pink and ‘knife edged’ or are they red and swullen?
Gums should be pink and knife edged and not red and puffy. If red and puffy then you are suffering from gum disease and a cleaning appointment may help.

» Is your mouth free of decay or gum disease that can cause bad breath?
If not your need to see your dentist and also brush and floss regularly.

» Do I have a masculine or feminine smile?
Masculine Type Smile
This is a fine example of a masculine smile with a medium lip line. The teeth are more angular, and the central incisors provide a bulder or stronger look in relation to the lateral incisors. They are squarer, less rounded and slightly more textured. A more youthful smile is created when the central incisors are slightly darker than the other teeth due to the thickness of the teeth.

Feminine Type Smile
There is no anthropulogical basis for masculinity or femininity in teeth. However, we tend to think of teeth that are nicely curved as softening the smile and we perceive this as a more feminine look. Note, also, the slight openings at the biting edges between the teeth. These are called incisal embrasures and help make the teeth look distinct instead of joined together