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	Your Smile Makes a First Impression! Regardless of where you come from or the language you speak, your smile is one of the most important forms of communication. Instantly, it projects your self confidence, personality, self image, and how you feel about the people you're with both personally and professionally. Your smile impacts everyone who sees it and it reflects in how they see and treat you. Cosmetic dentistry has benefited immensely with the advancement of materials and technology. Simulation software has provided an easier means of simulating the "After" Smile prior to the starting of treatment. With the introduction of new dental materials, a cosmetically trained dentist can provide patients with new fillings, crowns, veneers and bridges that look and feel similar to natural teeth. When cosmetic dentsitry first comes to mind, many think of the old type of dentistry. In the past teeth appear like chicklets or have the appearance of a grey or black line at the neck of the tooth. This can now be eliminated thanks to cosmetic dentists who have trained in this area and are familiar with the use of the newer materials. If you have been unhappy with how your smile looks, functions and feels, consider the benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry. Studies have shown that the appearance of your teeth is strongly associated with how others perceive you. For example gaps between teeth and crooked teeth are associated with a lower socio-economic stature. Short teeth are associated with an older appearance. Straight edges are more masculine and round edges are more feminine. Straight white teeth are associated with being successful, youthful, attractive and healthy. Based on an extensive survey of public perception of the smile, 92.5% of people agree that an attractive smile is an important social asset. 88% of people say they always remember someone with an especially attractive smile. 85% of people agree that an unattractive smile makes a person less appealing to people of the opposite sex. 74% of people agree that an unattractive smile can hurt a person's chances of career success. But Only 50% of people are satisfied with their smile Survey by American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry World's Largest Cosmetic Dental Organization What is Cosmetic / Esthetic Dentistry? With a rapidly growing interest in self-improvement, it is no wonder that Cosmetic Dentistry is increasing in popularity. Cosmetic dentistry refers to any alteration in tooth shade, shape or size of teeth to enhance its appearance. Cosmetic dentistry is defined in two ways. The micro view, which refers to using a natural colored material on a tooth to make it look and feel life-like. This procedure can be completed in an out patient basis as it is performed on a daily basis by many esthetically trained dentists. The macro view refers to those dentists who are specifically trained to analyze a patients smile and their bite. Through the use of multiple modalities and tests, these dentists can devise a treatment plan on how to enhance the patients present condition. This could be as simple as whitening the teeth, or as simple as fixing a chip on a tooth with bonding, or it may be whitening with a combination of veneers or crowns. Either way, the goal is to carefully review the entire face to ensure the change will be beneficial and accurate. But, cosmetic dentistry is not just about looks. Often teeth are debilitated. They may appear as very short teeth, discolored teeth or teeth with older failing dentistry. Rebuilidng the teeth to a natural length and color not only makes the patient look and feel better, but also helps in the improvement of chewing food properly resulting in a healthier body. Reactive Dentistry Many patients go through life seeing their dentist every 6 or 9 months based on the typical benefit plan provided by their employer. As employers are lowering costs for the benefit plans, the employee tends to experience only reactive dentistry. This results in treatment of one tooth at a time and a asymmetrical smile. ProActive Dentistry Based on advanced skill and knowledge of comprehensive and cosmetic dentistry, a dentist can offer a comprehensive treatment plan which fully takes into account the long term health of the patient. A dentist highly trained in cosmetics understands the full relationship of the gums, lips, teeth, bite function and can provide a more in-depth plan to better suit the needs of the patient. By incorporating multiple teeth in the treatment plan, important factors such as shape of the teeth, shade of the teeth and gum height, the results become more symmetrical in the smile and it provides a natural final result. How do Dentists with Cosmetic Training can create the smile of your dreams? Most importantly, to become trained in cosmetics, a dentist requires many hours of additional education beyond dental school. Once a dentist feels the skills have been acquired, they will then offer these services to the patients. The new smile is created by experience, technology, employing a great dental team and incorporating a skilled laboratory. With the coordination of multiple people and technologies, the patient acquires the "Smile of their dreams." A comprehensive dentist must gather some information prior to the commencement of treatment. This often involves before photographs, an examination, x-rays, and impresssions(moulds)of the teeth. This information provides a baseline to provide explanation and direction. Once the treatment is agreed upon, multiple appointments are arranged to complete the required dentistry. If a small number of teeth require only minimal treatment, a procedure known as "bonding" can be completed in one appointed session. The treatment could be as simple as changing some silver fillings (to white fillings) that are visible during the process of smiling. Or it could involve refreshing some older stained white fillings on the front teeth. In either case, the teeth are reshaped as needed and the bonding material is added to enhance the teeth and the smile. If back teeth require the change of old dental work, newer procelain materials can replace older silver fillings or older metal crowns. The older material is simply removed and the tooth is shaped accordingly. A second appointment is required to place the new onlay or crown once the laboratory has fabricated the restoration. The onlay is simply a replica of the shape of the previous filling. It mainly covers the internal part of the tooth and tends to be more conservative than a crown. If multiple teeth are prepared for crown or veneers, any old materials that presently exist on any of these teeth will be removed and the area will be cleansed. After meticulous shaping of the teeth, temporary acrylic teeth will be fabricated to provide the teeth with some protection while the laboratory completes the creation of the "new" teeth. During this temporary phase, the patient will have an opportunity to adjust to the change in their smile. Although the color may not be the final shade, the length and overall shape can be assessed. A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that is shaped and shaded to appear similar to the tooth. Once the laboratory has completed the fabrication of the restorations, the patient will return to the dental office for the opportunity to view the new restorations in their mouth. If the patient agrees with the final appearance of the restorations, final cementation of the newly fabricated teeth takes place. Often, there is a check up appointment to ensure the new work feels "right" based on the chewing action of the teeth. At this time after photos are taken, in addition to any final polishing details or bite adjustments. The patient would then be provided instructions on proper use and would maintain their recommended frequency of check-ups and hygiene cleanings.