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Cosmetic dental improvements aren’t just about appearances. They can have real economic, social, and psychological benefits, too – something that was shown in a Chilean study published earlier this year in AEJ: Applied Economics.
Nearly 799 low income Santiago area residents took part, each missing at least one front tooth or premolar and needing a dental prosthesis. Three hundred fifty were assigned to a specially designed dental program that included a diagnostic exam with x-rays, a personalized treatment plan, dental hygiene, simple extractions, crown polishing, fillings, seals, and removable partials or dentures. All were surveyed twice afterwards to gauge short-term and medium-term outcomes.
The short-term benefits for those in the dental program included “significantly improved dental health,” improved self-esteem among women, and better employment and earnings among women. Those first two benefits persisted in the medium-term, but the economic improvement only persisted for women with low self-esteem.
Our results show that providing dental treatment with especial emphasis on appearance leads to statistically significant improvements in objective and subjective oral health conditions for men and women in the two follow-up surveys.
Self-esteem improves among women in both follow-up surveys, whereas labor market outcomes only improved for the first follow-up.
The research team also found that women in the program later invested more in things to complement their restored and healthier smiles. While the improvements didn’t seem to affect dating outcomes, “it did improve the quality of the spousal relationships of the women who won the lottery of this study.”
These two results confirm that the intervention has real consequences in the lives of women in the experiment. Taken together, our findings indicate that improving poor women’s access to dental treatments enhances their economic, psychological, and social outcomes.
Taking a Holistic Approach to Cosmetic Dentistry
Regardless of why you want to improve your smile, we believe that cosmetic treatments should always be done in a way that supports whole body health.
So we use only biocompatible materials such as fluoride-free, BPA-free composites and ceramics such as zirconia. We also favor the least invasive means of making over a smile, combined with a proactive, preventive approach to oral health to sustain the good results.
Here’s a look at the major cosmetic services we offer so you can get the smile you’ve always wanted:
Tooth whitening: Teeth darken as you age. Some is from staining; some, from thinning enamel, which lets the darker dentin below it show through. Smile brightening is one of the simplest ways to shave years off your appearance.
The KoR whitening system we use is the most effective method available today and specially developed to limit sensitivity. The oxygen it contains is absorbed deep into the teeth, dissolving tough stains on the enamel – without the need for special lights or lasers.
The whitening gel remains active for a full 6 hours, which is roughly 12 times as long as other gels! KoR also comes in a few different formats, so we can really tailor the whitening to your specific needs.
Dental Bonding: If you have a damaged or discolored tooth, we can use a biocompatible tooth-colored resin to restore its appearance. Bonding can also be done to fixed chipped teeth or even reduce unsightly gaps between them.
The results are visually similar to porcelain veneers but are achieved much less invasively. We don’t need to shave down the surface to attach a prosthetic. Dental bonding can last for years before a touch-up may be needed and is entirely reversible.
Porcelain Veneers: Porcelain veneers offer a longer lasting cosmetic solution, lasting for up to 15 years or more with good care. They can cover up stains that whitening can’t remove. They can cover damage or gaps and improve visual alignment of the teeth. They can help balance a smile by changing the size and shape of teeth to better match the others around them.
Porcelain is highly biocompatible, and the materials blend well with your natural teeth and gums, providing both an attractive appearance and good functionality. Two office visits is all it takes: one to take impressions and prepare the teeth and one to attach the veneers.
Invisalign: When teeth are crooked, crowded, or gappy, Invisalign clear aligners can be used to move the teeth into more harmonious relationships. Unlike metal braces, Invisalign uses smooth, BPA-free plastic which is both comfortable and nontoxic.
Invisalign aligners are custom-made for each patient to gently shift teeth into the desired positions over time, typically 6 to 15 months, depending on the severity of the case. You wear them all the time except to eat, drink, brush, and floss, and see us every 4 to 6 weeks so we can check your progress.
Ceramic Dental Implants: If you have missing teeth, ceramic dental implants are your best option for replacing them. They can be used to support single crowns, bridges, partials, and even full dentures. Aesthetically and functionally, they’re the closest thing possible to your natural teeth.
