A dazzling smile radiates health and energy and makes you infinitely more confident. The modern body image, includes having a good set of teeth. The answer lies in cosmetic dentistry. And if you are one of those who has an unreasonable, morbid fear of dentists you will just have to overcome it.

Wearing braces is no longer considered a stigma. The beautiful singer Cher wore braces when she was in her forties, so age is really no bar. And today there are braces the colour of your teeth which merge beautifully with your teeth so you needn't have a metallic smile anymore. You can even wear them inside.

Veneers have largely replaced cumbersome braces as popular way to fix crooked and gappy teeth. Made from porcelain, veneers work in the same principle as a false tooth fixed over the existing tooth. The dentist bonds the porcelain veneer to your teeth. A too white veneer can look artificial and strange, as will a line that is too straight. Though expensive most veneers last upto 10 years. However protruding or crowded teeth have to get conventional orthodontic treatment.

Bleaching can definitely give you that ring-of-confidence smile. It lasts usually for a year. Besides peroxide bleaching, laser whitening also helps lighten teeth quickly and more effectively. Today a mouthful of silver fillings is no longer the norm. Modern dentists favour a new type of white composite filling which is indistinguishable from the tooth. These white fillings are also harder wearing and strengthen the enamel.

Today cosmetic dentistry does not understand the word impossible. A low lipline, missing lateral incisors, diastema, discoloured, stained, uneven fractured teeth can all be fixed. The answers lie in modern techniques such as orthodontic repositioning, resin bonding, cosmetic contouring, polishing, laminating, crowning and bleaching.

Your smile has a definite bearing on your self-esteem. Today dentists even work in tandem with plastic surgeons to help you reinvent your smile. Oral surgery can also help you change it for the better. All you have to do is go to a trusted dentist who will help you arrive at that smile you always dreamt of. A smile that says ``I care about myself. I like who I am!'' A smile that is compelling and attractive. A smile that illuminates the face and spreads joy al around.