Uncategorized

Thinking about going through the process of straightening your smile? There are many different ways to do so. Whether you’re just looking for the right provider or trying to understand your options, there are lots of details to consider. Invisalign has quickly become a popular method because it is discreet and reliable. If you’re interested in trying out Invisalign in Tyler, TX, we can help! Smith Dental Care provides a variety of solutions to help you transform your smile comfortably and effectively. 

Learn more below! 

What is Invisalign?

Braces were always the primary option for orthodontics, but thanks to innovation, there are now additional solutions that can be used for teeth straightening. Invisalign, as well as other brands of aligners, accomplish many of the same things that braces do, but they are clear and discreet. 

Invisalign is a modern treatment that uses clear removal trays that are custom-made to fit your teeth. They fit snugly and move your teeth to align the positioning, with slight adjustments and positioning changes over time, until treatment is complete. 

While clear aligners may not solve every single issue, they are great for adults and teens who are looking to move teeth for better bite or alignment needs. They are nearly invisible, and they offer many versatility and comfort benefits. 

The Benefits of Invisalign

There are several advantages to solutions like these. Most people who choose them prefer the discreet appearance, but they also appreciate the removable concept rather than having semi-permanent brackets on their teeth. 

Check out these top benefits:

• Discreet: these aligners are clear and made with medical-grade plastic materials so they are virtually undetectable. Most people are not going to be able to see them, so you can maintain a polished appearance throughout your entire treatment. 

• Comfortable: brackets and wires can sometimes be uncomfortable or cause irritation. Aside from some mild discomfort while you adjust to the aligners, you shouldn’t have to worry about rubbing or irritation and other forms of discomfort. 

• Removable: the ability to remove these aligners is incredibly convenient. They can be removed for eating, drinking, and teeth brushing. Be sure to follow recommendations for how often or how much they are removed. 

• Customized Treatment: every Invisalign solution is tailored to your unique dental needs.
• Shorter Treatment: most of the time, treatment is completed within 12-18 months, depending on the complexity. This is often shorter than traditional braces. 

Is Invisalign Right for You? 

The best thing you can do if you are considering Invisalign is consult with your provider or a qualified provider. They can answer any questions and assess your needs to determine whether Invisalign is a good choice. These solutions are used to address a wide range of orthodontic issues, including: 

• Crowded teeth
• Gaps and spaces
• Various bite challenges
• Alignment struggles

What to Expect from Treatment

The treatment process and timeline is going to be unique to your needs. While one person may have minor issues that only require 6 months of treatment, another might use a full 18 months for more complex challenges. Your provider is going to know precisely what is needed and can walk you through what to expect. 

The treatment process typically works like this: 

1. A consultation to assess your needs and goals
2. Imaging with 3D technology and digital impressions to map out your treatment plan
3. Creating custom aligners for a personalized treatment plan 
4. Checking in periodically with the dentist to ensure treatment is progressing as it should
5. Completion of treatment for a straighter, healthier smile

Your provider will monitor your progress closely along the way. Be sure you follow all recommendations for wearing your aligners and proper care. This will help ensure the best results. 

You can find a wide variety of experienced providers. Choose someone who is dedicated to helping you achieve your dream smile and will treat you with professionalism and kindness. You deserve the best possible care throughout your entire treatment process. 

Invisalign Vs Traditional Braces

Curious about how Invisalign measures up against traditional braces? They can perform many of the same things. You should know that some cases that are more complex may not be suitable for Invisalign or other aligners. Your provider will be able to help determine whether it’s an ideal choice. 

These are the areas where aligners stand out compared to traditional braces: 

• Clear trays rather than metal brackets and wires
• Fewer dietary restrictions thanks to removable aligners
• Easy to maintain and keep clean with no brackets to work around
• Fewer office visits required to make adjustments

Explore Invisalign in Tyler, TX, with Smith Dental Care

If you’re ready to take the first steps toward a better smile, Invisalign can be a great choice. At Smith Dental Care, we provide Invisalign in Tyler, TX you with quality expertise and treatment for a positive experience to get the results you deserve.

Contact us today to schedule your appointment!

Your smile is so important. It gives you confidence, it reflects happiness, and it’s a huge part of your self-esteem. When you’re confident about the way your smile looks, you’re so much more likely to show it off to the world. Cosmetic dentistry in Tyler is the perfect way to amplify your smile and take care of any defects or flaws that might hold you back from sharing that smile. 

Thanks to technology and dental techniques, there are many options to improve your smile, positively impact your oral health, and help you achieve a radiant smile to share with everyone around you. At Smith Dental Care, we are committed to helping you create beautiful and healthy smiles. We would love to work with you! 

What is Cosmetic Dentistry? 

Traditional dentistry covers basic needs like dental cleanings and routine care. It’s all about general care and whatever steps need to be taken to accommodate that general care. Cosmetic dentistry takes it one step further and offers solutions that improve the appearance of your teeth, gums, and smile. While cosmetic procedures do take some focus on health and hygiene, it is more focused on the visual and aesthetic approach. 

There are many different types of cosmetic solutions that can be used for varying needs. It is very important to work with a professional in the industry who can assess your needs and your goals and help you create a plan for the right solution and treatment to help meet those goals. 

Why Consider Cosmetic Dentistry? 

Some people have perfect teeth and great genes, and that is amazing! The reality is that many people don’t get this lucky. Cosmetic dentistry is the way around that. When you don’t have a perfect smile, or there is something about your smile that holds you back, this is the solution to overcome that! 

These are some reasons people use cosmetic solutions: 

• Confidence Boost: a smile you are happy with and proud of is going to grant you significant confidence. You will feel more self-assured and you will smile so much more. 

• Correcting Imperfections: chipped teeth, gaps, stains, and other flaws often hold us back. It’s a self-esteem issue and it’s amazing how correcting even slight dental imperfections can help. 

• Enhance Functionality: sometimes dental imperfections can cause functionality or strength challenges with our teeth and gums. Cosmetic procedures can often improve appearances but also restore that strength and functionality. 

• Long–lasting: most cosmetic treatments and procedures are designed to last. When completed properly, they provide durable, sustainable improvements. 

These are just a few common reasons why people turn to cosmetic procedures. While the term “cosmetic” gives the general idea that it’s just about improving looks, there really is so much more to it. Yes, these procedures and treatments do improve visual appeal, but they also provide substantial improvement to use with long-lasting results. 

Popular Cosmetic Treatment Options

There are many different things that can be considered cosmetic treatment. Let’s look at some of the most popular options: 

• Teeth Whitening: professional whitening treatments will help with stains and discoloration, often delivering dramatic results to help brighten and improve a smile. 
• Veneers: veneers are custom-made shells that form to your natural teeth and enhance the visual surface of the teeth to correct and hide discoloration, cracks, chips, and other similar elements. 
• Invisalign: a discreet and effective solution to help straighten teeth without the hassle or discomfort of traditional braces. 
• Bonding: repairing chips, cracks, gaps, and other visual issues with quick and cost-effective options that just use a tooth-colored resin to make the repair. 
• Gum Contouring: reshaping the gum line can help improve the balance of teeth and gums in a smile. This is most often used when a patient feels their teeth are too gummy in appearance. 
• Dental Implants: a permanent denture solution that replaces missing teeth with a surgical implant that is anchored into the jawbone. 

As you can see, there are many different options, and this does not cover them all. When someone wants to improve their smile, these are a few of the choices available to do just that. 

Making Smile Transformations Happen

The process of cosmetic dentistry and transforming a smile is often complex. It will always start with a consultation to ensure you and the provider are on the same page. They will examine your teeth and your situation and get to know what you want to accomplish as well. 

This leads to a personalized treatment plan that will help to achieve the results you are after. The total time from consultation to completion will simply depend on the procedures required and how long individual treatments might take to complete. 

Consider Smith Dental Care for Cosmetic Dentistry in Tyler

Smith Dental Care is proud to offer an array of cosmetic solutions. We understand that this is an investment in your confidence and your smile, and we are here to support you every step of the way. 

Schedule your consultation today to get started!

It’s no secret that New Year’s Eve is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world. Dr. Smith, Dr. Ogletree, and Dr. Douglas and our team love it too. It’s a fresh start, another year of surviving the crazy world we live in, a time to refocus on the things we want for ourselves, a celebration with those we love … the list goes on.

Dozens of countries welcome the New Year with over-the-top parties and celebrations. Because it’s a public holiday, many offices, businesses, and schools close for the day. As you think about your plans for this holiday, here are some fun facts about New Year’s that might surprise you!

Can you guess what the most common New Year’s resolutions are? You may already have one or two of these on your own personal list. The top five New Year’s resolutions are: to quit smoking, get a new job, lose weight, increase personal savings, and return to school. Just remember that coming up with a concrete plan to reach your goals is the surest way to achieve your resolutions!

About one million people brave the cold to watch the New Year’s Eve ball drop in New York City’s Times Square in person. Yes, that’s one million! This event is one of the most iconic celebrations in the world. People travel from all over just to experience it, but you can watch from the warmth and comfort of your living room.

If you’re not a fan of cabbage, collard greens, black-eyed peas, or ham hocks, you might want to revise your tastes. All these foods are all regarded as lucky fare on New Year’s Day. Unless you’re allergic, of course!

For many people in Mexico and Latin America, eating 12 grapes at midnight is a tradition that brings good luck in the 12 coming months. Most people even make a wish per grape!

Whether you’re celebrating in Tyler, TX or traveling elsewhere to observe the holiday, New Year’s Eve is a time to enjoy the company of your friends and family. Don’t forget to send warm wishes to your loved ones, and snag a midnight kiss with that special someone if you can!

In our continuing efforts to provide the most advanced technology and highest quality care available to our patients at Smith Dental Care, we proudly screen our patients for oral cancer. The fact is, every hour of every day in North America, someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth most common diagnosed form of the disease. The five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved.

Oral cancer can occur on the lips, gums, tongue, inside lining of the cheeks, roof of the mouth, and the floor of the mouth. Symptoms of oral cancer may include a sore in the throat or mouth that bleeds easily and does not heal, a red or white patch that persists, a lump or thickening, ear pain, a neck mass, or coughing up blood. Difficulties in chewing, swallowing, or moving the tongue or jaws are often late symptoms. While there is no way to predict exactly which individuals will get oral cancer, there are some potential causes we want you to know about. In some cases, it is possible to minimize these risk factors.

• Age (most patients diagnosed with oral cancer are over the age of 40)
• Tobacco use, either from cigarettes or smokeless chewing tobacco
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Persistent viral infections, such as HPV16
• A diet lacking or low in fruits and vegetables

Finding out you have oral cancer can be devastating news. If you are concerned that you might be at risk for developing oral cancer, talk to us about screenings and other things you can do to reduce your risk. Through a routine visual inspection, Dr. Smith, Dr. Ogletree, and Dr. Douglas and our team at Smith Dental Care can often detect premalignant abnormalities and cancer at an early stage, when treatment is both less expensive and more successful, and can potentially save your life. Ask Dr. Smith, Dr. Ogletree, and Dr. Douglas and our team at Smith Dental Care about a screening at your next appointment!