What To Do If Your Teeth Have Shifted After Braces
Having braces as a child is a choice that many people have made for them. As an adult, it can be frustrating to think of the time spent with braces if your teeth have since shifted and become crooked. The good news is that you don't have to go through having braces again if your teeth have moved a little. Here's how you can restore your look without spending time and energy on braces.
How it Happens
Teeth shift over time due to unexpected stressors. While you could probably eat for the rest of your life without your teeth moving at all, the same can't be said for abnormal activities like biting nails, chewing on pencils, or grinding your teeth. These behaviors put abnormal amounts of stress on individual teeth that can push them out of place over time. Once this has been done, moving them back requires braces. However, if there's only a slight misalignment, you can get the look you want without getting braces.
Repairing the Look
Instead of braces, consider dental veneers. These are thin layers of porcelain that are placed on top of the surface of the tooth. They're not crowns, as they don't encapsulate the entire tooth, but they do effectively provide a new face for your teeth. This means that if you aren't happy with the shade, size, shape, or alignment of your teeth, veneers can sit in front of them and make your teeth look flawless.
What to Expect
Getting dental veneers is a much easier and less time-consuming process than getting braces.
You'll need to visit a cosmetic dentist as your first step. They'll listen to your concerns, examine your teeth, and determine if you qualify for veneers. If you do, they'll work with you to choose the color that you want and will demonstrate what you can expect your smile to look like once the veneers are on.
From there, you'll go home and wait while your veneers are being ordered. They're custom-made for you, so this process may take a little while.
Once your veneers have been received by your dentist, you'll be called in to have them put on. This is a very simple process, similar to what you once went through when your braces brackets were put on. Veneers are simply adhered to the teeth with dental cement and don't require any drilling of the tooth.
Once your veneers are on, your smile will look as good as it did the day your braces came off. You'll save time, money, and effort while getting the smile you've been dreaming of. For more information, check out a website like http://www.pikedentistry.com.