Many people are uncomfortable with the appearance of their teeth. But how do you know if you should get cosmetic dentistry to correct the appearance of your teeth?
This quick guide can help you decide whether you should get cosmetic dentistry.
How Often Do You Feel Bad about the Condition of Your Teeth?
The impact tooth appearance has on your quality of life depends partly on how often you feel bad about the condition of your teeth. Do you feel bad about the condition of your teeth:
- Many times a day
- Every day
- Once a week
- Once a month
- Less often
If you feel bad about the condition of your teeth multiple times a day, it’s probably time to talk to a cosmetic dentist about getting treatment. The appearance of your teeth is significantly impacting your ability to live your life.
How Bad Do You Feel about the Appearance of Your Teeth?
Another aspect that affects the impact of unattractive teeth is how bad your teeth make you feel. When you become aware of the state of your teeth do you feel:
- Extreme depression: I don’t want to do anything but hide from life
- Mild depression: everything in life seems a little less bright
- Sadness: I want things to be better, but can still enjoy what I’m doing
- Mild bad feelings: I feel bad briefly, but quickly recover. I may forget I was feeling bad.
If you feel that everything in your life is being affected by the poor state of your teeth, you should talk to a cosmetic dentist. In addition, if you experience extreme depression, you may want to talk to a therapist about your feelings. It may even be possible that your teeth are not the actual problem: you may be suffering from a form of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) where you have an exaggerated sense of how bad you look.
Do You Avoid Any Activities because of the Appearance of Your Smile?
Avoiding activities because of the appearance of your smile is a good reason to get cosmetic dentistry. Have you avoided any of the following because of the appearance of your smile:
- Smiling
- Getting your picture taken
- Laughing
- Eating in public
- Going out in public
- Meeting friends
- Interviewing for a job
- Seeing the dentist
Avoiding these activities can significantly limit your life. In particular, not wanting to be seen in public, avoiding job interviews, and meeting friends can diminish your quality of life. One of the first things people stop doing when they dislike their smile is seeing the dentist. They are embarrassed about the appearance of their smile and feel anxiety about letting the dentist see it.
This just leads to a worsening health and appearance for their teeth. Fortunately, sedation dentistry can help many people who suffer from this kind of anxiety.
Appearance, Health, and Function
Of course, if it’s more than the appearance of your smile that’s affected, you should prioritize cosmetic dentistry as well. Cosmetic dentistry doesn’t just restore beauty: it can also improve the health and function of your smile.
Talk to a dentist about cosmetic dentistry if you also experience:
- Tooth pain
- Difficulty biting or chewing
- Jaw pain
- Tendency to bite cheek or tongue
- Food stuck in teeth
These are signs of other problems that your cosmetic dentist can help you correct. If you have several of these problems and are unhappy with the appearance of your smile, it’s time to schedule an appointment.
Are You Ready for Cosmetic Dentistry?
If you think you are ready for cosmetic dentistry in Orange County, please call (949) 551-5902 today for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at Rice Dentistry in Irvine.
