What's Wrong with the TikTok Smile?
- Robin Bethell, DDS
- Jan 19, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 26, 2021
Smile makeovers are much more than just cosmetic procedures to improve aesthetics.
What Do Oral Health and Beautiful Smiles Have in Common?
A lot! They are very directly correlated. I'm not here to promote the advertised claims that veneers and porcelain teeth are a solution to oral health problems. Contrarily, this new trend is problematic and something that we dentists need to educate people on. I instead want to emphasize the contributing factors to a healthy, and coincidentally, beautiful smile. The 3 most important components of a healthy smile are:
1 | aligned arches that allow for healthy chewing of food
2 | infection and pathogen free (clean)
3 | a positive self-image about your smile, which is the first thing people see when you meet them.
Smile Makeovers in Austin
The single greatest predictor of a lifetime of healthy smiles is aligned arches.
Teeth that are aligned in an arch with equilibrated chewing contacts is the single biggest predictor of a lifetime healthy smiles. Even if you brush your teeth 10 times a day (I don’t recommend that!), there is damage that you may not know you are causing by having an improper bite (malocclusion). This is why I so frequently recommend bite alignment with myself or an orthodontist before addressing the color or shape of teeth. Aligned teeth are also much easier to clean! The first part of any smile makeover is analyzing the position of your teeth in respect to you face and the way you chew. This is done using a thorough questionnaire designed by Dr. John Kois, using the iTero digital health scanning and occlusalgram, as well as the taking thorough x-rays and often a CBCT to evaluate the teeth roots and bone in your jaws. Once we establish a healthy bite and aligned arches, we can move on to the next step of the Smile Makeover.
So You've Gotten A Smile Makeover. What Now?
In Austin, Texas, our Smile Makeover patients tend to be very conscientious of their brushing and flossing habits. Even a perfect Smile Makeover will need to be kept healthy and supported by a great oral hygiene routine. Our patients have unique risk factors for teeth and gum disease, so a careful analysis of their genetic history, diet, and chemical habits is used to tailor a custom cleaning protocol. I give a risk score of 1-4 (4 being the highest risk) which we use to recommend cleaning frequency, toothbrushing tools (dentifrices), and chemical aids (toothpastes and mouthwashes). My favorite combination is an electric toothbrush with a low abrasive toothpaste (Relative Dentin Abrasivity Chart here), and your favorite floss (mine is Cocofloss).
Whatever your needs, we’ll make sure that germs and chemicals aren’t destroying your healthy mouth.
Leave A Lasting First Impression
How we feel about our smile affects so much; it can’t be overstated. Some studies show that in 40% of first impressions, a smile is the first thing people notice. If you don’t feel good about your smile, you are much less likely to greet your friends, co-workers, and family with confidence.
At Blue Door Dental Design, we want to create a natural, healthy smile makeover that will impress the most important person in the room: YOU.
This is why we don’t recommend big white veneers for everyone. One smile, one shade, or one shape does not fit all. We know that facial flow, familial tooth shapes, and lifestyle choices make every smile unique and important. We want to keep the characteristics that make your smile special, while improving only the parts that you don’t like about your smile. We use a thorough questionnaire, and a customized smile library and smile design process that will allow you to test drive a digital smile design before we ever modify your teeth.
Most importantly, we believe in preserving nature and minimizing reductive techniques. I believe that cutting down teeth for porcelain can be harmful, and social media has only served to amplify this. The newest TikTok and Instagram video trends of influences showing off peg shaped teeth on their way to a smile makeover are problematic as they don't seek to preserve nature. Don’t let this be you!
Give us a call, or schedule a virtual consult so that I can help you design the perfect smile.
The “TikTok Smile” trend has recently sparked debate, and for good reason. While it might seem like just another viral aesthetic, there are deeper implications to consider. This smile, often characterized by overly whitened, uniform teeth, has led many to pursue expensive and sometimes unnecessary cosmetic dental procedures, especially among young users. The pressure to conform to such beauty standards can negatively affect self-esteem and promote unrealistic expectations. Social media trends should be approached critically, especially when they influence health and self-image. Just like understanding the impact of online trends is important in marketing, students must apply analytical thinking in their studies too. If you're trying to juggle academic responsibilities and need help with coursework, you can always look for…
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