About Time: You Smiled for the Christmas Party PicsBy Angelica Malin

With the Christmas party season upon us, thoughts turn to what we will wear, how we will have our hair, booking in to get those nails done and of course smiling for photographs.

For some people, the latter may be a real issue as they may be less than happy with their smile. London City Smiles take a look at how you can achieve the perfect smile this Christmas:

What is stopping you from smiling?

In the first instance let’s take a look at the possible causes of your less than beaming, pearly white smile. Are your teeth discoloured and stained or do they look yellow? Are some of them darker than others or do you have one particular tooth that is a different colour to the rest?

Are they uneven with too many teeth crowding your mouth or do you have a couple of teeth which you consider to be a funny shape? The first objective is to establish the problem before moving on to find a solution. Book an appointment with a cosmetic dental specialist and discuss your concerns. With the benefit of their extensive experience they will be able to offer you solutions.

Discoloured tooth or teeth getting you down?

This is perhaps the easiest of all cosmetic problems to treat. If the teeth are stained and have yellowed over time then teeth whitening offers the perfect solution. In no time at all you will have whiter teeth and, combined with a good scale and polish, all those nasty stains can be removed.

If you have one particular tooth that stands out like a sore thumb when you smile (even if it is just you that notices it) then whitening, while it will treat all the teeth, probably won’t resolve this issue. One dark tooth usually signifies trauma in the past. This is usually a sign that the tooth has been bumped and the root has died. Nothing will bring this tooth back to its original colour but a veneer will give it a new lease of life. A veneer can be fitted over the top of the natural tooth to match the colour of your other teeth. It is usually a quick and easy process as well.

Misshapen teeth making you frown?

If you have misshapen teeth that you aren’t comfortable with, then veneers are a good solution. Let’s say all of your teeth are a little short or maybe they are different lengths. Maybe they are all too dark and even teeth whitening hasn’t worked. Perhaps past abuse has damaged them and now there are visible signs of decay.  Veneers can cover a multitude of problems and will give you natural looking, fresh and lovely teeth.

Crooked or uneven teeth forcing you to smile with your mouth closed?

This isn’t as much as a quick fix as the other procedures as you can’t make teeth move overnight. In the first instance, you may have to have teeth removed to make space for the remaining teeth. Then you might have to spend 18 months to two years wearing a brace and retainers. While this won’t fix your problem in time for this Christmas, you need to start somewhere and it will make you feel better knowing that you have straight teeth to look forward to.

If you want to enter the new year with a new smile and feel better about smiling for those Christmas pics then you are strongly advised to look into booking a consultation. Your problem may be easily resolved but it may take time. You won’t know until you meet with a specialist that has already helped many others realise the perfect smile.