As well as this, the rise in popularity of cosmetic dental treatments has led to an increase in patient waiting lists, even though the treatment is only available privately. A cosmetic dentist offering good value will naturally have more people waiting to get the treatment they want, while a dentist with poor reviews or sky-high costs will have a pretty big black mark against their name in terms of attracting customers who are not either 100% certain, desperate or very cash-rich. For this reason, a number of people – and a growing number at that – have been exploring the prospect of going abroad to have treatment.

For one thing, a lot of the medical treatments available on the continent are a lot more affordable than the same treatment back home. Although one might expect a resultant drop in quality, this is not always, or even usually, the case. Sometimes the treatment, and the facilities, are competitive with and even better than those available on British soil. It depends where you go, of course. The same is true everywhere – there are some dentists who are better than others, whichever country you go to.

Indeed, there are even some companies offering “dental tourism” trips which encompass a spell of sight-seeing and exploration along with the dental treatment that you receive. This may seem like a strange idea, but when you take into account that some of the more unspoiled areas of Europe are included in the list of places that you can go to for dental treatment, then it makes a lot of sense. People go on golfing holidays and fishing trips, so why not have a dental holiday?

The progress of technology has been somewhat steady in recent years towards a point where things no longer need to be “done well or done quickly”. It is now possible for many things to be done well and quickly, and this is shown very comprehensively by CEREC dentistry, which allows a patient to go in for work on their teeth, have their needs assessed, and the necessary work done that very day – even within an hour or two. While people may have previously ruled out having a false tooth made on the grounds of the hours they would have to commit to it, CEREC treatment removes that necessity.

Whatever you need to have done to your teeth, CEREC treatment involves looking at your mouth through the wonders of digital imaging. While dentists once had to take a putty cast of the tooth in question, they can now take a digital photograph of the tooth in your mouth and convert it into a three-dimensional model, on which the new false tooth – or restorative crown – is based. Once all of the necessary data has been collected, it is then sent to a machine which makes the new tooth or crown in as little as six minutes – and half an hour at most.

Having done this work, the dentist can then do the final parts of the job, which may involve polishing the tooth, before cementing it into place and restoring your smile to what you wish it to be. Because this only takes one visit, it can often work out at a more reasonable price than a more low-tech solution – even though it is ground breaking technology.

Those of us who are afraid to smile may feel that we are stuck with the problem – how exactly do we change what we have been given? And although there may be a limit to what we can change about our smile, the fact is that there are things we can do – and these things can have such a profound effect on our self-confidence that they are worth the (increasingly competitive) prices that we may pay for them.

Of course, it is not exactly “cheap” to pay for cosmetic dental treatment. However, it is also not anywhere near as expensive as you might suspect. The right treatment to turn your smile into one that you would be proud to flash at anybody may set you back a lot less than you had imagined. It may require simply a visit to the dentist for gum contouring, or to have your teeth whitened by laser or by other means. It may be a combination of a number of different treatments.

The truth is that while there are actually very few people who are going to look out for a bad smile, and grimace in response, the effect that a great smile can have in social and business situations can be massively beneficial. Just knowing that you have it and can flash it at a moment’s notice to turn a situation to your advantage could well be worth the cost on its own.

What are invisible braces?
Invisible braces are a new cosmetic alternative to the ugly old metal designs. Your clear aligners work in just the same way, but hardly anyone will realise you’re wearing them. Although, the braces aren’t completely invisible they are extremely hard to notice. So, you won’t have to feel embarrassed wearing them. Your invisible braces can be used to treat a wide variety of teeth issues, and are recommended for use with crooked teeth, gaps, under bites, crowding and even cross bites.

How do invisible braces work?

After your initial dental consultation, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth, and your new invisible aligners will be created for you. You’ll need to wear your braces for a recommended 20 – 22 hours each and every day, and you’re able to remove them during meal times and for brushing.

The length of treatment will depend on your teeth. Most patients will need to wear their braces from around 6 months up to 1 year. Your brace will be replaced every two weeks, and your teeth will slowly be repositioned during this period.

Invisible braces Vs. regular braces…

The great thing about invisible braces is that they’re able to correct your teeth just like a regular brace, but you can’t see them. You don’t have to worry about the ugly wires of traditional braces, instead the invisible braces use clear aligners to fully straighten your teeth and smile.

Unlike the old fashioned metal braces, invisible braces are far more comfortable to wear. At the start of your treatment you can expect to experience some mild discomfort, but overall, you’ll be pain free.

Traditional braces often stain and decay the teeth, but this isn’t an issue with invisible braces. You don’t have to worry about cleaning your teeth or eating with your braces on. You simply remove them during these times, so dental hygiene worries will be a thing of the past.