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How you can create a great impression
A smile - no other human expression can come close to equaling its power or importance. Having the self-confidence to smile openly and honestly is absolutely essential to a healthy lifestyle - nothing is more important for making a positive first impression. Whether for business or in a social setting, a strong and healthy smile makes others perceive you as confident and successful. Smiling radiates empathy and understanding making those around you feel more relaxed and comfortable.
Jane Zhang, Senior Dentist at Beijing's Joinway Dental believes, "If you have a good looking smile, others will think that you are very friendly and that you have a great attitude towards others." However, it is not just the recipients of your smile who benefit from a flash of your pearly whites, cracking a smile can make you feel better too. Several sources such as internationally published magazine Men's Health state that if you are feeling sad or angry, smiling, even if you do not feel like it, can impact upon your mood. It can improve your health and dramatically reduce the amount of stress you feel, it can even make you feel more confident as Gary Guo, the Marketing Director at Vista Clinic in Beijing pointed out, "Confidence is the most important thing people gain from a beautiful smile, this means that others will feel more at ease around you and will be happier to talk with you." Smiling can also benefit your appearance, helping to reduce lines and wrinkles in your face. Exactly how powerful is as mile? Guo gave us the following statistics based on his experience:72% of people believe that people who often have an honest smile are more confident and more successful 50% of people feel significantly more comfortable approaching and talking to a stranger who is smiling 35% of Senior Managers are more likely to promote individuals who smile frequently during their work
This is all well and good for those with shiny white teeth and a glistening grin, but what if you feel self-conscious when you smile? What if your smile does not dazzle everyone in the room? What if you do not like the way your teeth look? "Many of our customers don't have confidence in their smile, and don't like other people seeing their teeth" says Jane Zhang, and this can be attributed to two main causes, both of which can be corrected non-surgically:
Discolouration:
This can range from minor tinges to severe stains and is the most easily corrected symptom of a self-conscious smile. Usually discolouration is caused by dietary habits such as drinking too much coffee or Coke, smoking or taking oral medication.
Damage:
The most common causes of damage to teeth are when the enamel gets chipped or cracked. This usually comes via an impact injury - chipping a tooth on a tea-cup for instance - or in some cases poor oral hygiene, which can lead to cavities (where bacteria and plaque eat through the enamel of the tooth). Although this process can be a little more complex than dealing with discolouration, damaged teeth can be fixed quickly and easily using modern cosmetic dental techniques.
Correcting any of these problems requires the consultation of a cosmetic dental specialist, but is actually much easier and less time consuming than you may think. However, "Lightening and cosmetic procedures are not covered by many dental insurance plans, only those treatments which are necessary for your health are normally covered" warns Gary Guo, urging patients to acquaint themselves with the details of their dental insurance policy first. Below, are listed some of the most common procedures used to correct the aforementioned problems:
Teeth Whitening
Who needs it? Those who wish to lessen the appearance of discoloured teeth.
What is the procedure? Most whitening procedures will only require one visit to a dental professional. A mold of the patient's teeth is taken, and used to create a customised pair of trays that precisely fit the patient's teeth. The patient then adds a small amount of whitening chemical to the trays and wears them for two to three hours.
What are the advantages? The advantage is that since whitening is anon-surgical procedure and can be performed at home, it is by far the most convenient cosmetic dental procedure.
What are the disadvantages? Whitening may be convenient, but the downside is that it is not permanent and, therefore, must be performed repeatedly if the patient does not change the habits that led to the original problem. Also, overuse of whitening chemicals or improperly fitted trays can cause gum irritation.
What will it cost? Most whitening procedures cost around 2,500RMB, according to Jane Zhang, although this will increase if more than one visit is required. Most dental insurance plans will not cover teeth whitening procedures at all, so keep this in mind when planning for the expense.
Veneers
Who needs them? Those who are looking for a long-term solution to either severe discolouration, or minor chips and cracks (However, make sure you talk to your dental professional if you suffer from Braxus, the grinding of one's teeth, as this may make veneers unsuitable for you).
What is the procedure? The production and insertion of veneers usually takes three clinical visits. A very small amount, usually less than two tenths of a millimeter, is removed from the front of the tooth. A mold is then taken of the surface of the tooth and a customised veneer, a thin covering of porcelain or plastic, is created. At the second visit, the veneers are adhered with temporary glue, allowing the patient to "try them in". Finally, at the third visit, the veneers are permanently affixed using glue that is hardened with a light beam, creating a shiny, white smile
What are the advantages? Although they are not truly permanent, veneers last for up to fifteen years, and make a much longer-term solution to both discoloration and chipping or cracking. In addition, veneers will not stain, meaning that the benefits of the procedure will last much longer than those derived from simple whitening.
What are the disadvantages? There will be an approximate two-week period in which the patient may experience some mild sensitivity and pain as they adjust to the different size and shape of the veneers. In addition, removal of too much enamel from the tooth could lead to prolonged sensitivity and even trauma to the root of the tooth.
What will it cost? Veneers will cost between 2,500RMB and 7,000RMB per tooth depending both upon the amount of enamel that must be removed from the tooth and on the total number of clinical visits necessary, which can raise the overall cost, says Jane Zhang. Most dental insurance plans do not cover any of the cost associated with veneers.
Caps
Who needs them? Those who wish to correct severe damage to one or more teeth. Examples of this might include deep cracks or holes that penetrate too deep to be fixed with veneers. In addition, caps can also be used to correct a situation in which too much of the original tooth has been lost to properly mount a veneer (perhaps a significant part of the tooth has been lost in a severe impact). <p>
What is the procedure? A cap is very similar in principle to a veneer, except that it covers the entire visible surface of the tooth, not merely the front face. At the first of three or more visits, a temporary cap is glued over the remains of the tooth to prevent further damage, whilst a customised cap is produced that will fit the tooth on the inside and give the appearance of a healthy and whole tooth on the outside. Usually after two weeks, the customized cap is then fitted over the tooth. A third clinical visit will be required for follow-up, and further visits may be necessary depending on individual cases.
What are the advantages? Caps will last up to fifteen years, and deliver excellent aesthetics, mimicking a real tooth well enough to pass all but the closest inspection.
What are the disadvantages? The application of a cap usually requires local anesthetic, so this must be taken into account when fitting this procedure into a busy schedule as it could be very difficult to return to work shortly after the procedure. Porcelain caps must be thicker than veneers in order to achieve the correct appearance, so this increases the risk of both sensitivity and trauma to the root of the tooth. Porcelain fused to- metal caps can produce a thin opaque line, demarking the connection between the cap and the metal anchor plate, near the patient's gums as they recede from the teeth with age.
What will it cost? Caps will vary in price from 5,000RMB to 7,500RMB per tooth, depending on the type of cap, the complexity of the procedure, and the number of follow-up visits required. Most dental insurance plans will cover no more than half of the cost for this type of procedure, and may have a lifetime cap on the total cost covered for an individual patient, even in the case of repeated injury.
I would urge anyone interested in improving their self-confidence and their smile to consult with a dental professional to make sure that these procedures are viable options for them, and to study in detail the coverage provided by their dental insurance plans. That said, feeling confident enough to let your smile help you put your best foot forward in all situations will be rewarding enough that the cost will seem like a smart investment in your future.
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