A Smile Is One of Your Most Important Social Assets

A smile is often the first thing people notice about you and one of the things they remember afterward. It plays a quiet but real role in social interactions, from a job interview to a family photo. When you like your smile, you use it freely. When you do not, you may start hiding it behind a hand or closed lips, and that can make you seem shy or even unfriendly at work and socially, even when you are neither. The good news is that the things that make people self-conscious about their teeth, such as stains, chips, gaps, crooked or missing teeth, can usually be improved with cosmetic dentistry.

This article looks at why your smile matters so much in everyday life, the most common reasons people stop smiling freely, and how a smile makeover is planned at the Timonium office of Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS, so the result looks like you on your best day rather than like dental work.

Why your smile matters in social interactions

People read faces quickly, and a smile is one of the clearest signals a face sends. It tends to come across as warmth, openness and confidence. That is why the way others perceive you can shift when you hold your smile back, and why a smile you are proud of can make everyday moments feel easier.

First impressions in professional settings

Meeting a new client, presenting to a room, interviewing for a job or greeting patients and customers all start with a first impression. Your smile is a big part of it. Many adults who come in for cosmetic dentistry say the same thing: they were not unhappy with their teeth all day, only in the moments that mattered most.

Photos, celebrations and everyday moments

Weddings, graduations, holidays and nights out now come with more photos than ever. If you have learned to smile with your lips closed or turn your head to hide a tooth, you already know how much attention a small flaw can take up.

What hiding your smile can cost you

The practice’s cosmetic imaging page puts it simply: your smile is vital to a great first impression, and hiding it can make you seem shy or unfriendly. Correcting or enhancing your teeth can improve your entire appearance, and just as importantly, it can remove the reason you were holding back in the first place.

Let your smile be your signature accessory

A signature accessory is the one thing people associate with you, the watch or the scarf you always wear. Your smile works the same way, except you never take it off. A smile worth a fortune does not have to be a perfect one. It has to be healthy, natural and yours, and comfortable enough that you stop thinking about it. That is the goal of good cosmetic dentistry: not a set of identical white teeth, but a smile that suits your face and lets you forget about your teeth when you are with other people.

Common reasons people stop smiling freely

• Stained or yellow teeth. Store-bought whiteners often fail to deliver lasting results.
• A chipped tooth. Even a small chip on a front tooth can draw the eye.
• Gaps between the teeth. Spaces can bother you every time you smile.
• Crooked or crowded teeth. Many adults put off straightening because of how metal braces look.
• Too much gum when you smile. A gummy smile is often extra gum tissue, not short teeth.
• Years of patched dental work. Broken, patched and filled teeth call for a plan rather than a quick fix.
• Missing teeth. A gap from a missing tooth can change how you smile, speak and chew.

How cosmetic dentistry can help

At the Timonium office, cosmetic dentistry includes a range of treatments that can be used alone or combined into a smile makeover.

Teeth whitening

In-office teeth whitening starts with a thirty-minute professional whitening treatment, followed by a laser applied for 1 to 2 hours to activate the hydrogen peroxide and help dissolve stains. Every whitening plan is customized, and if your teeth are very dark, Dr. Haywood can explain your other options before you begin.

Porcelain veneers

Porcelain veneers are thin, translucent shells bonded to the front of the teeth to correct stains, chips, gaps and crooked teeth. The porcelain is hand-crafted in the USA by master ceramists, it resists stains better than natural teeth or composite, and you try a “test drive” set of veneers before the final set is made. For some patients, prepless veneers preserve most if not all of the natural enamel.

Dental bonding

Dental bonding repairs a chip or closes a small gap with tooth-colored composite resin, sculpted right on the tooth and polished to look natural. It can often be done in a single visit and is one of the most affordable cosmetic options.

Invisalign clear aligners

When teeth need to move, Invisalign clear aligners straighten them without brackets or wires. Invisalign can also shift teeth into a better position before a veneer makeover begins.

Gum lifts

A gum lift uses a dental laser or radiosurgery to move the gum line up on the upper teeth, and it can be combined with same-day custom veneers.

Dental implants for missing teeth

Dental implants replace missing teeth and can be part of a smile makeover alongside veneers, crowns and whitening.

What a smile makeover involves

1. A conversation and an exam. Your first visit starts with a thorough oral exam and a conversation about your goals. It helps to jot down what you would like to change beforehand.
2. A preview on screen. Before-and-after demonstrations are part of every cosmetic evaluation. Your digital photos are changed on the cosmetic imaging computer, so you can see the improvements and plan them together.
3. A plan you approve. Your plan may be a single procedure or a combination. Some makeovers treat just a few teeth; others treat all of them to create the most appropriate bite and overall beauty. Treatment starts only when you approve.
4. Treatment on your schedule. An ultimate smile makeover can be completed in as few as two visits. If you have a wedding or big day coming, a same-day smile makeover can fit on your day off: in as early as 7:30 and out before the 5 o’clock rush.

A natural result, never a fake one

The fear many people have about cosmetic work is that it will look obvious. Dr. Haywood insists on a natural, never-fake look, and designs each smile around your goals. Dr. Haywood is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, trained in cosmetic dentistry at NYU’s Aesthetic Continuum, pursued advanced reconstructive training at the Peter Dawson Institute, and was selected to perform an extreme smile makeover for ABC. The practice has been featured in the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Magazine and New Beauty Magazine, and you can see results from real patients in the smile gallery.

Patients describe the social side of the change in their own words. One wrote, “My anxiety was put to rest in one visit… Now I actually get compliments on my teeth and I enjoy smiling more than ever.” Another, who came in with every tooth broken, patched and filled, wrote, “I get compliments everywhere I travel and I am loving it.”

Keeping your new smile: proper care

A beautiful smile lasts longer when it is looked after. With appropriate home care and professional care at the office, porcelain veneers can last for decades. Bite protection is recommended for any cosmetic treatment to protect your investment, and it helps to limit staining foods and whiten routinely.

Healthy gums matter too, both for how your smile looks and for your oral health. Bleeding or receding gums and bad breath can be signs of gum infection, and a professional cleaning every six months is recommended. Cleaning appointments at the practice are a full 60 minutes. Read more about protecting your smile.

What a smile makeover costs, and how to pay

Every smile is unique, so the cost depends on your plan, and you get a clear estimate up front. The practice is out of network with insurance companies: you pay at the time of service, and the office files the claim on your behalf so your plan can reimburse you for any covered care. Health savings and flex plans are welcome. Financing is available through CareCredit, with no-interest options for up to 12 months, and Cherry, with plans from 3 to 24 months, and Invisalign can be paid monthly in the office after a down payment. See financing options.

Frequently asked questions

Is a smile makeover only about looks?

No. An ultimate smile makeover aims for optimal function and beauty together, and some plans treat every tooth to create the best bite. Straight, healthy teeth are also easier to keep clean.

Will people be able to tell I had cosmetic work done?

The aim is that they cannot. Ultra-thin porcelain stays translucent like natural enamel, and the test-drive set of veneers lets you judge the look before the final set is made.

Can I see my new smile before treatment?

Yes. Cosmetic imaging gives you a before-and-after preview of your smile as part of every cosmetic evaluation.

What if I am nervous about dental visits?

Tell the team. The office is designed to feel spa-like, and sedation options are available for anxious patients.

Schedule a cosmetic consultation in Timonium

If you have been holding back your smile, find out what it could look like. Request an appointment or call (410) 453-9399. The office of Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS is at 108 W Timonium Rd, Ste 200, Timonium, MD 21093, and patients come for veneers and smile makeovers from Timonium, Towson, Hunt Valley, Baltimore and Shrewsbury, PA.