A Great Healthy Smile
What really is a great smile? A great smile is one that supports you emotionally and physically. It is a healthy smile. It is one that you don't have to think twice about when meeting someone for the first time. Today that usually means white natural looking teeth that are well positioned and well proportioned. We often see teeth that are too white and unnatural looking, that have a tendency to take on a life of their own. To me a smile is great when it complements the face without being overly prominent. It doesn't call attention to itself while supporting the rest of the facial characteristics. It just fits that persons face.
Social Implications of a Smile
We live in a very esthetic world. It has been researched that people with great smiles are perceived as being happier, friendlier, healthier and more trustworthy. People are more likely to date someone with a great smile. People with a great smile are more likely to get a job and have a higher salary. So the message here is if you are looking for a mate, or looking to keep your mate, having a great healthy smile will only help the situation.
A Healthy Smile
The reality is that a great healthy smile will do more then get you a better social life and a higher income. A healthy smile can help you to age better and stay healthier. Research has shown that by maintaining a healthy mouth you can add years onto your life and stay healthier in the process. Gum disease has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and many more illness. The link is inflammation, as inflammatory proteins triggered by unhealthy gums circulate throughout the body. It is amazing how people don't think twice about bleeding gums while bleeding from any other part of their body would be alarming.
Aging and Your Smile
As we age our teeth often wear down. This especially can happen to the front teeth giving the edges of your front teeth a very flat, worn appearance. This combined with years of stain accumulation creates that old worn out smile. When you look at yourself and you see that old smile looking back just how young can you actually feel. I believe that keeping the thoughts in your head young can keep your body young. How many people do you know with worn broken down smiles that age gracefully?
There have also been a number of studies that relate poor dental health to mortality in the elderly population. Missing teeth and gum disease have a direct correlation to increased death rates and I might add quality of life in the elderly population. Getting proper nutrition can be difficult, it is harder to chew and food choices are limited when you are missing your teeth. Just look at the number of residents of nursing homes who are missing their teeth. It would be nice to think that that standard of living will not be a part of our future.
It's Easier then You Think
Having a great smile that is supportive of your life is probably a lot easier than you think. Advanced dental techniques can stop the disease process and give you that healthy great looking smile that can last forever. For some patients the process can happen in a matter of days. The main thing is that for each step along the way you are comfortable and happy with your progress. Don't let a poor unhealthy smile rob you of the quality and years of your life that you deserve. The choice is yours to make.
If you are interested in finding out what Dr. Shapiro can do for you please call us for a complementary consultation. What do you have to lose?