Esthetic Dentistry Considers the Ideal Natural Arrangement of Teeth

A patient may consider esthetic dentistry to improve a smile through small enhancements that keep in mind the patient’s natural teeth arrangement and appearance. Esthetic improvements can help patients feel less self-conscious and more confident in their smiles, boosting both physical and mental health.

While these improvements are promised to maintain the most natural look, many patients do not fully understand how esthetic treatments accomplish this. Here is a breakdown of esthetic dentistry and how it specifically focuses on the natural arrangement of teeth to create a better smile.

Focuses of esthetic dentistry

An esthetic dentist is trained to look at a patient’s appearance in its natural form. This can mean taking into account natural teeth color or the alignment of the face. While many patients think that teeth are the main focus of dentistry, the complete look of the smile actually comes from considering how the teeth complement the gums, lips, and face, and vice versa.

Top aspects

A dentist can assess a patient’s face and gums, as well as smaller and larger effects within a smile. Dental professionals look to see how the muscles within the face move to create a smile, how the lips flex, and how the smile aligns with the facial structure. The arrangement of teeth may need micro or macro adjustments, such as filling a minor gap with a veneer or adding a crown on a decaying tooth. While any of these enhancements may alter a smile slightly, the dentist focuses on ensuring each treatment allows the smile to flourish naturally.

Main components

To ensure the teeth are being altered in a natural arrangement, esthetic dentistry involves the study of the mechanics of the lips, gums, midline of the face, smile line, and teeth. When these dentists suggest an improvement by realigning the teeth, they have already assessed how that realignment will affect the parameters of the main components. A patient whose eyes and nose are slightly off from the actual midline may benefit from teeth that align with the face as a whole rather than the midline itself. A dentist is trained to assess each patient’s facial components to ensure the right changes are made.

Natural functions

Of course, no dental treatment is complete until it has been assured that the functionality, as well as the appearance, of teeth is in order. By maintaining a wholly natural esthetic, teeth are more likely to function the same or better. The changes that are made, while improving the outward smile, should not hinder a patient’s ability to eat or bite. Signs of wear or grinding may even be fixed with minor esthetic dentistry procedures, even if the target teeth are not at the visible forefront of a person’s smile.