Is the Appearance of Our Teeth an Indicator of Health?

The eyes of a person are often cited in poems and songs as an indication of attractiveness. Yet it is in actuality our smiles that might be the standout feature. Family dentists can be a great resource for minor dental changes. However, many people find that cosmetic dentists are required for major changes to one’s smile. While the term “cosmetic” clearly has connotations as superficial, good healthy teeth are actually necessary for a person’s total health. The difference between a nice smile and a superstar smile is where cosmetic dentists come in.

How Important Is a Smile In the Life of a Person, Really?

A nice smile is often listed as a requirement for a person to be considered attractive. Yes, our teeth are important for many reasons. Today we are discussing simply their appearance.

Is Appearance Tied to Health? Not Necessarily When It Comes to Our Teeth.

Unlike an unhealthy body, an unhealthy mouth may not look the way we suppose it would. A bright white smile with perfectly straight teeth may actually have its own issues. Of course, a mouth full of blackened teeth and bleeding gums is clearly in need of some help.

So what indicates a healthy mouth? A dentist will tell you what they look for, and it may not be areas the average person would think about. For example, teeth that are a shade of yellowish are not unhealthy, simply unsightly. Conversely, a snow white row of teeth may actually be brittle or lacking an adequate layer of enamel.

Where Does Health and Appearance Intersect In Cosmetic Dentistry?

There are some signs of an unhealthy mouth that are unappealing. Some problems can take a little while to progress to the point of being noticeable to people other than your dentist. For example, receding gums usually begin slowly. The dentist checks the degree of recession each time the patient has a check up.

When the recession has progressed, it looks unsightly. Of course this problem does not just fall in the realm of cosmetic dentists. It is a also a matter of one’s overall health. Recessed gums can bleed, become sensitive, or even can be indicative of periodontal disease. In fact, just under half, 47%, of people over the age of 30 have some form of periodontal disease.

Cosmetic Dentists: Helping Improve People’s Lives.

Why do people desire a perfect smile? There’s actually a number of reasons, all of them associated with appealing to other people. As many as 96% of adults deem a smile as the most important feature in making them appealing to the opposite sex. About 74% of adults think that a bad smile can even hurt their career trajectory. Those are pretty large numbers of people fearing the impact of their smile.

Our smiles are incredibly important. But perhaps not in the ways we think. The way our teeth appear to others seems to have more of an effect on our own beliefs than any actual data has indicated. So when a patient seeks out the skills of cosmetic dentists, perhaps they should remember to pursue treatments for their own peace of mind not the judgements of others.

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