Smile
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Skin

Worth Every Penny

Clinical Director Nikita Mehta reveals the secret to a perfect smile and the questions you need to ask your dentist.

Aesthetic dentistry is the art of recreating the tooth and smile so that it appears natural, balanced and in harmony with its surroundings.

If you are looking to find a dentist who can craft your perfect smile, you may find yourself waiting a perfectly long time. That’s not to say that there aren’t amazing dentists out there creating fantastic smiles, but perfection is hard, if not impossible, to achieve. What constitutes a perfect smile varies from person to person – it is so subjective that I would be wary of anyone claiming to offer such a thing.

On the contrary, I believe in striving for excellence. To me, this involves good communication with open and honest dialogue to arrive at a clear idea of what is actually possible.

We need to understand what a realistic outcome for you, in particular, is as no two cases are identical. It’s not all about the end results, either – many people are unaware of the risk factors and likely upkeep that is involved.

It is vital to go over these and etch out a maintenance model beforehand to be considered as part of the process. There shouldn’t be any room for doubt!

To begin with, I would always ask patients to do their homework. Have you taken the time to look at the dentist’s past makeovers? Do you like the smiles they’ve created? Have you seen five-year follow-ups, and their aesthetics? Just because it was completed by a professional doesn’t mean it will be to your liking – it’s okay to not be a fan of what someone else has done.

I’d say it’s wise to go for a dentist that you like, whose aesthetic work you feel positively about. Keep in mind when you do your exploring that a professional opinion is probably going to be the most useful to you. Google is quite general and can often lead you down a rabbit hole, so make sure you book in for a consultation.

Word of mouth is a great way to go about it as well, especially when hearing from someone whose taste you trust, and you’re able to feel confident in their research.

Remember that every dentist will have their own view of what is aesthetically pleasing, so for the best chance of success you should marry up with a dentist that aligns with your outlook and has shown they can deliver what you want.

When it comes to price, this will vary as it is dependent on many factors including the experience of the dentist, the materials used, the process, and the time taken to deliver the treatment. All of this is reflected in the final cost, so you have to look at what’s most important to you and look for that as your benchmark.

There are a number of ways to go about improving the smile, and it can be tricky to know which treatments would be the most ideal for you. The question of whether to go for veneers or composite bonding for example is complicated and case-specific. You may even already have something in mind based on the research you have done.

However, I would always want to make sure that the plan that is delivered to you is in your best interest. It may not be what you were initially looking for, but hopefully, an explanation as to why something is not suitable should be given by your dentist along with any other clarifications you need.

I do hope that my words will help as you embark on your smile journey.

Smile consultations with Dr Nikita Mehta can be booked online at westhousedental.com or by calling the reception desk on 020 8866 3025.

WORDS: NIKITA MEHTA