It can be difficult to feel confident in a relationship when you don’t feel confident with your smile. Unpleasant odors, discoloration, and missing teeth can cripple your ego and make you resist smiling at life’s most joyous moments.
Whether your partner cares about your damaged teeth or not, your concern may cause issues in your relationship by themself.
Personal relationships aren’t the only ones that may suffer from issues with oral hygiene and appearance. It can be difficult to pull off that presentation at work without confidence and missing or discolored teeth.
Missing Teeth
Whether you’ve had a tooth removed or lost it in an accident, replacing a missing tooth may not always be an option. This can leave an awkward gap in your smile.
Fortunately, there are a handful of ways to fix imperfections in your smile. Dental implants are one of the most popular choices because of their functionality, convenience, and natural-looking appearance.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a healthy, safe way to replace your missing tooth. If you qualify, a metal rod is inserted into the gums and attached to the jaw bone. One of the benefits of this treatment is that the jaw bone will naturally fuse to the metal rod as it heals.
The exposed end of the metal rod will be threaded for the new tooth to be attached. Once the rod is strong enough, a custom-made crown that matches the natural color of your surrounding teeth is fitted.
Once the crown is fitted, it will have the same level of functionality that your natural teeth do. What’s more, dental implants can last up to 25 years with the same level of upkeep and care that your natural teeth require.
What are Partial Dentures?
Partial dentures function much like a standard set of full dentures, but are designed to replace one or a few missing teeth rather than all of them. For those who don’t want the rest of their teeth removed, this can be a popular option.
Partial dentures are composed of a metal framework and a plastic-based composite. Like full dentures, partial dentures are completely removable. However, partial dentures don’t always have the same level of functionality that full dentures or implants do.
In many cases, you’ll need to remove your dentures before eating. This can lead to uncomfortable situations when eating with your friends and colleagues.
Discolored Teeth
A discolored tooth can stick out like a sore thumb, much like a missing tooth. It can be difficult to restore that color on your own with over-the-counter whitening products — especially if you drink coffee or use tobacco products.
Fortunately, there are in-office solutions for teeth whitening that are more effective than over-the-counter options. In-office bleaching is where a whitening product is applied directly to the affected teeth. The gel or liquid is activated with heat, a special light, or a laser.
Another benefit of this treatment is that you can expect to see results in under an hour.
Bad Breath
Bad breath can lead to some awkward and uncomfortable situations in social settings. Many people aren’t capable of holding back negative facial expressions and that can be a major blow to your confidence.
Not all causes of bad breath stem from dental problems, but there are effective solutions for the ones that do. Infected teeth and gums often produce unpleasant odors that lead to bad breath. Fortunately, there are treatments for infected teeth and bad breath.
Root Canal Procedures
If your tooth has become infected, a dentist will drill into the tooth and remove the dead central tissue and drain the abscess. After the infection has been removed, the tooth will be filled with a protective sealant and sometimes fitted with a crown to prevent reinfection.
Pulling the Infected Tooth
In some cases, the infected tooth may not be salvageable. Your dentist may suggest that the infected tooth be pulled to prevent the infection from spreading.
Final Thoughts
If you’re tired of feeling insecure in your relationships because of the problems with your teeth and oral health, contact a dentist as soon as possible. Most experienced dentists can provide a wide variety of treatments to get your smile back on track and restore your confidence.