There’s so much that can be done these days to improve the appearance of a person’s smile — at any age. From powerful, professional whitening treatments to amazingly realistic porcelain veneers to state-of-the-art dental implants, there’s a wide range of exciting possibilities.

The first step in any smile makeover is a thorough dental examination to make sure that your cosmetic problems really are just that, and not a sign of underlying dental disease. Once your health has been established, your smile can be cosmetically enhanced in a variety of ways.

Some common cosmetic dentistry procedures include:

• Cosmetic Bonding, to repair small chips or cracks
• Crowns and Bridgework, to replace large amounts of lost tooth structure and/or missing teeth
• Dental Implants, for the longest-lasting tooth replacement available today
• Inlays and Onlays, to fill teeth with larger cavities
• Invisalign Clear Aligners, for highly discreet orthodontic treatment
• Orthodontic Treatment, to move teeth into the right position
• Porcelain Veneers, for repairing larger chips and cracks, and reshaping teeth
• Removable Dentures, to help you smile again
• Teeth Whitening, to brighten a faded or discolored smile
• Tooth-Colored Fillings, for a completely natural, healthy look

So that you can communicate exactly what you don’t like about your smile and how you’d like it to be different, give some thought to the following questions before the first consultation:

• What do you like or dislike about the color, size, shape and spacing of your teeth?
• Are you pleased with how much your teeth show, both when you smile and when your lips are relaxed?
• Do you want teeth that are perfectly aligned and a bright “Hollywood White,” or would you prefer a more natural look with slight color, shape and shade variations?
• Would you like more or less of your gums to show when you smile?

It is extremely helpful for you to bring in pictures you have collected — of smiles you like, smiles you don’t like — even photos of the way your own smile used to look, if that’s the result you’re aiming for. Now is the time to get started on creating a smile that will make you feel as good as you look!