An Esthetic Dentist Answers FAQs About the Natural Arrangement of Teeth

An esthetic dentist analyses a patient’s smile to determine where corrections can be made to improve the smile and overall oral health while maintaining optimal functionality. These corrections can include a wide variety of services that target missing teeth, gaps between teeth, decay, staining, yellowing, chips, and cracks. To determine how to treat a patient’s teeth, the dentist may look at a variety of factors impacting the natural arrangement of teeth.

Common questions about esthetic teeth arrangement

Patients may wonder whether getting esthetic work done is the right choice. This often depends on individual needs and personal reasons. Talking to an esthetic dentist is one of the better ways to make a decision, but not everyone can see a dentist right away. To help patients better understand this type of dentistry, here are the answers to some of the most common questions from a professional view.

What determines the natural arrangement of a smile?

There are several main components that make up a smile. Dentists are trained to assess how these elements come together to create a perfect smile and how to recognize when something is off. Teeth color, wear, and alignment are just some of the crucial aspects of this assessment. The dentist may also look at how a person’s lips are framed in the face, where the midline of the face naturally rests, and how the lips change when the person is smiling. It is not just teeth that create a smile but a combination of these components.

What do esthetic dentists take into consideration before treatment?

There are four main esthetics studied by dentists:

1. Facial
2. Gingival
3. Micro
4. Macro

Each of these factors contributes something to the overall smile, and one may be lacking and hindering the impression of the rest of the smile. The facial category deals with how the face frames the smile. Gingival esthetics carefully assess the gums for signs of disease or decay, which may cause inflammation and the gums to pull away from teeth. Micro esthetics look closely at each tooth, noting slight discolorations, chips, and cracks. Macro assessments look at where the teeth line up compared to the midline of the face and how teeth appear compared to the gums and lips.

How does an esthetic dentist maintain a natural look?

Getting work done on teeth does not mean totally changing the appearance of a person’s smile. Esthetic work emphasizes keeping a smile looking as natural as possible. This means focusing on the micro esthetics to make sure veneers or crowns match the natural teeth color. It also means aligning teeth in a way that complements the patient’s face. Because esthetic treatments are all about maintaining natural functionality, small adjustments may be made rather than larger overhauls.