When it comes to accessories, you can spend a small fortune on jewelry and gems or clutches and shoes.
But the most important accessory you have accompanies you everywhere you go, and it’s not affected by season, color or occasion. It’s relatively inexpensive to maintain and, in a very real way, it says everything about you.
Of course, we’re talking about your smile.
“Seeing someone with a big and cheerful smile provides a glimpse into their personality,” says Dr. Zac Berry, owner of Berry Dental Group in Mount Juliet. “You can tell if it’s someone who is fun to be around. It’s more than just straight teeth; it’s the smile.”
While Berry Dental Group provides general dentistry and oral hygiene care, these days Dr. Berry is treating more adults seeking cosmetic treatment – the average Invisalign patient is about 40 years old – traditionally associated with children. He says the uptick is due to adults reaching a point in their lives where they have more time to take care of themselves.
“It’s not unusual to have a patient who had braces as a child but whose teeth continued to shift over time and now, in her 40s, she wants that beautiful smile again,” he says. “It’s not that it’s unhealthy or holding her back; she just wants to get back to feeling whole again.”
With digital technology, oral impressions have become obsolete and, with a quick scan of their teeth, patients can see how their new smile will look in about five minutes.
Dr. Berry says that it’s amazing to see a patient’s confidence restored through cosmetic dentistry. One in particular, a woman in her 30s, would cover her mouth when she spoke because her teeth weren’t straight. “But after her treatment, her husband came in and said, ‘You have no idea how much happier she is.’”
