Going to college can be a major milestone for many young adults. Meeting new people, making friends from different cultures and backgrounds, discovering your strengths and skills, and applying for internships to further your career path are all a part of finding your personal identity. Whether you’re an incoming freshman, a senior approaching graduation, or a seasoned student striving for your Ph.D., getting through this formidable stage of life with a crooked smile, broken or stained teeth, or any other visual blemish to your smile can be hard to manage with confidence. A smile makeover will not only improve your Instagram photos or Snapchat selfies, but it could be a crucial part of what furthers your college career, like nabbing your dream internship or first job. It’s a known fact that first impressions determine how personal or professional relationships are conducted, and your smile is the first thing most people notice. In the spirit of new beginnings, what are some common dental issues you may be facing as a college student that require cosmetic dentistry, and how can you fix those issues in time for the next important step in your education?
Hiding Behind Your Smile: Is Cosmetic Dentistry Right for Me?
Maybe you’ve always suffered from crooked teeth, even after years of painful braces that had you hiding your teeth from friends and family. Did you play competitive sports through high school and into college that resulted in a permanent tooth being chipped, cracked, or broken during practice or a game? Too many wine nights, a coffee shop addiction, or smoke breaks during stressful exam weeks leaving you with stained or yellowing teeth? These can all be significant factors that affect the confidence of your smile. This embarrassment and lack of confidence can start to affect other aspects of your life, especially when it comes time to apply for internships, scholarships, and, later down the road, land your first job with your hard-earned degree. If you’re wanting to make the best first impression, consider making an appointment with your dentist to look at the options available for your smile makeover. There are usually both non-invasive and surgical options for giving you the smile of your dreams.
Whiter and Brighter
Consumption of coffee, soda, and wine and the use of both traditional and smokeless tobacco products are major causes of teeth staining in young adults. We tend to start these habits in our early 20’s, and the damage can become noticeable in only a few years. This is one of the most common reasons students seek out cosmetic dentistry, and it is often a fairly simple and inexpensive issue to treat. Your dentist can create bleaching trays for at-home whitening that work considerably better than over-the counter products, producing noticeable results often within two weeks. If you’re looking for more immediate results, in-office whitening procedures can safely lighten your teeth up to eight shades in less than an hour! A bright smile is a great way to highlight your personality during an interview, especially if you have straight teeth already.
Cracking Under Pressure
Veneers and bonding are dual-purpose solutions for a smile in need of help. If whitening and bleaching options mentioned above don’t produce the results you’re looking for, veneers or bonding may be the best alternative. While they are more expensive, veneers and bonding provide longer-lasting results without the risk of staining or discoloration down the road, and they can also hide cracks and chips in your teeth. Leaving a cracked or chipped tooth exposed can eventually lead to tooth sensitivity, pain, and the possibility of infection, so it is best to treat this type of blemish sooner rather than later. Your dentist can assess the damage and recommend treatment or a procedure depending on the severity.
Closing the Gap
If the thought of getting braces as a student makes you cringe, don’t worry. Dental procedures have improved drastically over the years to correct teeth crowding or gaps, and metal braces are being replaced with clear, easy-to-wear alternatives such as Invisalign and Simpli5. Your dentist will use sophisticated 3D imaging technology to map out your teeth and bite pattern to create a series of acrylic aligners that you change out every two weeks or so. Each new set brings your teeth closer together, which brings YOU closer to your perfect smile. These types of invisible aligners take less time than traditional braces, are less expensive, and are much more comfortable to wear, fitting right into your busy schedule (and budget) as a college student.
It’s in Our Name—University General Dentists
With a busy social calendar and demanding class schedule, we know how hard it can be to fit in a dental visit, especially if it’s more complicated than a simple cleaning. But if you’re concerned about how your less-than-perfect smile could affect your career path, University General Dentists is here to help! With two locations, one of which is walking distance from UT campus, UGD is an easy choice as your dental provider. University General Dentists offers a full spectrum of cosmetic dentistry services with premier dental materials to create a gorgeous smile that lasts for years to come. Using cosmetic dentistry, we will create a customized smile makeover for you based on what you hope to achieve as well as the structure and dynamics of your face. Some of the treatments we use to design your smile makeover include porcelain veneers, both at-home and in-office teeth whitening solutions, Invisalign and Simpli5 invisible braces, and cosmetic bonding. Our team of dentists is highly trained in the art of smile makeovers and will conduct a thorough examination of your oral health as well as the dynamics of your face, mouth, and skin tone before creating a customized plan for your unique smile makeover. Let us give you the power to light up a room with your dazzling smile when you walk into your interview! Contact us today to schedule your smile makeover consultation. Your future self will thank you!