Look, a perfect smile takes perfect practice and maintenance. That’s why so few people actually have perfect smiles. A lot of Americans probably think they’re lacking in orthodontic hygiene or don’t take good enough care of their smiles. While that claim can partially be supported, your mouth and the mouth of the average American are actually in pretty great shape. It’s a combination of poor dental hygiene (when it does show up) and mostly social anxiety regarding our smiles that have us so worried. We are very much so worried about our smiles — a study conducted recently showed that 96 percent of adults surveyed confirmed that they believed healthy teeth and a good smile to make them more attractive to the opposite sex. There’s even more fear in our minds when it comes to our smiles: about three-quarters of adults feel that having an unattractive smile or missing teeth can hurt their careers and limit their opportunities while on the clock.
To really nail the point home, an AACD survey found that virtually all adults surveyed, a whopping 99.7% in total, believed a healthy smile to play an important role in maintaining a healthy social life. Just about any angle you tackle the questions from, public opinion is lined up overwhelmingly on the vain side — we all want great smiles and we all think having one matters a lot!
Braces or dental implants have always been some of the most popular and effective choices for repairing a smile. Typically made of metal, or plastic, some have always found braces to be uncomfortable and cumbersome. Relatively new to the market and offering a potential solution to this is a product known as Invisalign. Invisalign functions much the same way you might be guessing that it does based on its name. An apparent mash-up of “invisible” and “align” or “alignment,” this product seeks to give orthodonture patients and braces wearers and alternative to the highly visible, sometimes socially taboo appearance of braces and the oft-painful route of having emergency dentistry performed. They slip over a person’s teeth, much like braces or retainers would be fitted, only they are made of an almost entirely clear plastic which makes it difficult for others to tell that you are wearing them.
Contact your family dentist, and give them a try today!