Adolescents have always fretted about their appearance, but in the age of social media, teens seem to be more image-conscious than ever before. Many young people are particularly concerned about their smiles due to flaws like chips, stains, and misalignments, and cosmetic dentistry offers a range of treatments that can safely enhance the appearance of a teen’s teeth. Here’s a brief guide to how your dentist can help your teenager achieve a more gorgeous grin.
Reshape Teeth with Porcelain Veneers
Many teens have unsightly cracks, chips, gaps, stains, or misshapen teeth in their smiles, and these defects can have a negative effect on their self-confidence. Luckily, porcelain veneers can address these flaws in as few as two appointments. These thin ceramic shells are designed to match the appearance of natural teeth so they can conceal imperfections and reshape smiles into gorgeous new states. Porcelain veneers may be an excellent way to enhance your teen’s teeth or correct mild alignment issues.
Correct Misalignments with Invisalign
Teens are often reluctant to commit to traditional metal braces due to their conspicuous appearance and the frustrating dietary restrictions they require. Thankfully, Invisalign is a modern orthodontic treatment that can comfortably and discreetly realign a smile using removable and virtually invisible clear aligners. Invisalign can address a range of alignment issues like crowding, gaps, overbites, underbites, crossbites, and open bites so that your teen can enjoy a healthier and more beautiful smile.
Teeth Whitening Can Give an Older Teen a Flashy Smile
Almost everyone would like to have a whiter smile, and your teen may already be experimenting with whitening toothpaste or similar store-bought products. While these methods often deliver lackluster results, professional take-home teeth whitening kits can leave a smile up to eight shades brighter after about two weeks. However, performing these treatments on immature teeth can cause dental problems later on, so teeth whitening is typically only recommended for people sixteen and older.
Your teen’s first step to receiving cosmetic dental treatments such as these is scheduling a consultation at their local dental office. After a dentist has evaluated their mouth, they will be to determine which of these procedures can be administered safely to produce the desired results.
About the Author
Dr. Gregory D. Martin earned his dental degree at Howard University College of Dentistry, where he graduated second in his class and received the prestigious Restorative Dentistry Award. He is proud to be a member of the Texas Dental Association, the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. His office in Grapevine offers general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry such as the treatments described here. To schedule your teen’s cosmetic dental consultation, contact his office online or dial (817) 481-1041.