Early summer means spending a lot of time fixing things that you couldn’t get to over the winter. Cleaning gutters, straightening up the yard, and maybe even giving the house a fresh coat of paint. It might also be a good time to consider getting old restorations replaced.
The odds are that you’ll probably be more aware of the problems with your restorations in summer. There are many reasons why the changing season can expose the problems with your older, less attractive restorations, which means it might be an ideal time to plan a new smile makeover.
Bigger Smiles
We all tend to smile a little bigger in the summer. It’s natural that we tend to feel a little bit happier in the summer, when the sun is shining and it’s warmer.
The upside of this is, of course, that you’re happier and having a better time. The downside is that you’re exposing your teeth more, so if they’re not as attractive as you’d like, that will show.
More Cameras
Summer is also a time for many social occasions. From family trips to neighborhood barbecues, there are many times when you’ll be getting together with people. And whenever these get-togethers happen, there will be cameras.
Pictures at these get-togethers will show your teeth as they are. If you’re unhappy with the appearance of your restorations, these pictures will make you self-conscious and remind you that maybe it’s time to do something about your smile.
Brighter Lights
More light will show the imperfections of old restorations more clearly. All winter, you’ve been inside under the artificial lights, but once summer rolls around, it’s time to get outside in the sunshine.
Sunlight is much brighter than artificial lights, and it can expose the slight color differences between restorations and natural teeth. The more time you spend outside the more likely it is that you and others might notice these differences, showing porcelain veneers or crowns that just don’t match.
The Healthy Glow
But sunlight is more than just a brighter light. There’s another reason why it might make your old restorations look less attractive.
Sunlight isn’t just visible light, it’s a lot of invisible light, too, including ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light isn’t just good for tanning your skin (or burning–wear your sunscreen!), it affects your teeth, too. When ultraviolet light hits natural teeth, it causes them to fluoresce–they give off a glow that makes them look brighter.
Cheap restorations don’t fluoresce. That means that even if they are exactly the same color as your natural teeth inside, they’ll look more flat and dull when you’re outside in the sun.
Quality cosmetic restorations will fluoresce, which helps them look just as good as natural teeth in sunlight.
If Your Smile Makeover Needs Re-do
If you’ve noticed that your old restorations just aren’t as attractive as you’d like, we can help you get a beautiful smile for all seasons. Please call (248) 656-2020 today for an appointment with a Detroit area cosmetic dentist at Rochester Advanced Dentistry.
