Many people want a smile makeover but they’re wary about how they may look once the procedures are complete – not only that their smile and teeth will look drastically different, but that their face shape and features could change too. Here is the scoop on how some cosmetic dentistry treatments can alter your face shape (in a good way).
How Cosmetic Dentistry Can Affect Your Lips
Invisalign is designed to straighten your teeth and improve your bite, but this treatment is also a cosmetic one that can affect your lips. If you have an overbite and your teeth stick out a little, they will be shifted back once Invisalign has done its work, which means your lips will shift back too. If you have an underbite and your lower front teeth are moved into alignment with your upper jaw, this will create the illusion of a plumper upper lip.
Porcelain veneers are also known for affecting the lips. Even though tooth enamel is sanded down to make room for the customized porcelain shields on your teeth, the veneers will sit on top of your natural teeth, bumping out your lip a little bit. Most people consider this an excellent side effect of veneers, a way to get plumper lips without lip plumpers.
How Cosmetic Dentistry Can Affect Your Jawline
If you are missing teeth, your jawline will eventually be affected. Your teeth are important to give you a beautiful smile and your tooth roots are important to stimulate the jawbone so your face can keep its shape. When a tooth is no longer present, deterioration of the jaw will begin. Getting dental implants replaces both tooth and root for a cosmetic and functional restoration to ensure that your jawline stays where it’s supposed to.
Any adult who undergoes Invisalign treatment is unlikely to notice much of a jawline change, so you can put any worries like this away. This is usually a change reserved for younger patients who need the size and shape of their jaw adjusted and require more intensive orthodontics to make it happen.
How Cosmetic Dentistry Can Affect Your Profile
When your bite is off, this characteristic is noticeable and defines the shape of your face. Changing a problematic bite requires effort from a treatment like Invisalign, which can correct overbites, underbites, open bites, and nearly everything that conventional metal braces can correct.
If you have an overbite, once Invisalign treatment is complete your face will likely look softer and be more in proportion. Correcting an underbite will result in a more balance profile and stronger chin and jawline. Anyone with an open bite will notice their cheeks looking full and attractive now that they don’t have to stretch to fit over their teeth.
Improve Your Entire Appearance with a Smile Makeover
When you consider cosmetic dentistry, talk to your dentist about what you want for your smile and how you want it to happen. Some changes are gradual, like those from Invisalign treatment that can take a year to complete. Other changes are more immediate, like getting porcelain veneers in two visits.
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Charmaine Johnson, certified Invisalign provider and cosmetic dentist at Premier Smile Center in Fort Lauderdale, to find out what’s right for you.
