Request an Appointment

4 Lesser-Known Ways Your Dentist Can Enhance Your Smile

November 13, 2024

young woman smiling outside

If you’re unhappy with your smile because of the color of your teeth, their alignment, or both, then a dentist can easily address both of these issues. But this just scratches the surface when it comes to everything they can do to create your perfect look. A cosmetic dentist can do so much more, and here are 4 lesser-known ways they can take your appearance (and confidence) to the next level.

Create the Perfect Frame

When it comes to the overall look of your smile, your teeth are the stars of the show, but they aren’t the only thing that matters. The ratio of teeth to lips to gums is what ultimately makes someone look (and feel) attractive in the end.

Ideally, an extremely thin line of your gums should show when you smile. Too little can make the teeth appear oversized relative to the face, and too much leads to a crowded, “stubby” look. With veneers/Lumineers or other options, your dentist can make sure your gums don’t overshadow your pearly whites.

Remove Negative Space

Empty space between adjacent teeth (sometimes referred to as “black triangles”) or your smile and the corners of your mouth (called the “buccal corridor”) is a factor that most people don’t think about even if they overtly notice it. Too much causes the teeth to appear overly small, but too little can have the opposite (and just as undesirable) effect. Replacing or building up teeth with restorations can help strike the perfect balance.  

Give You Symmetry

The dental midline is an imaginary line that goes down the center of your face and between the front two teeth on the top and bottom. A little bit of crowding or spacing between these prominent teeth can alter how the entire smile looks, so making sure you’re perfectly symmetrical can create a significant result with relatively small changes done by your dentist.

The Right Edge

Ideally, the edge of your front teeth (the part you bite with) should curve significantly upward toward the chewing surfaces of your back teeth, making a seamless arc that creates the actual shape of the smile. Crookedness, especially if it involves the canines (the more pointed front teeth) can disrupt this edge and take away from the smile. But by giving you an unbroken arc, it can make the entire smile appear more striking.

So on top of removing stains and closing gaps, your cosmetic dentist can improve these other aspects of your smile, giving you a result that not only looks beautiful on its own, but is perfectly unique and suited to you.

About the Author

Dr. Susan Partovi is a highly experienced cosmetic dentist with over 30 years of experience. She earned her dental doctorate from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery and has achieved Fellowship status in the Academy of General Dentistry, a distinction granted to less than 10% of practitioners in the U.S. and Canada.

If you’re ready to have the smile you’ve always wanted, she is eager to help you just like she has so many others. Call (301) 507-2048 or click here to schedule a cosmetic consultation at Signature Smiles of Rockville.