Improve Your Smile for Senior Pictures South Pasadena, CA
Improving your smile for senior pictures may also help you improve your dental health. This may lead to feelings of increased self-confidence and improved overall dental health. When it comes to preparing for senior pictures, it is best to start far in advance.
Solutions to improve your smile for senior pictures are available at Huntington Dental Excellence in South Pasadena and the surrounding area. Enhancing your appearance can also help improve your dental health. Call us today at (626) 657-6335 to schedule an appointment and learn more.
More Than Just a Better Smile for Senior Pictures
Despite what the name may imply, cosmetic dentistry has more than just aesthetic benefits. Cosmetic dentistry is a broad field that can involve improving the alignment, color, position, shape, and size of the gums and teeth. These aesthetic enhancements often cross over with functional improvements. These include correcting a misaligned bite, improving dental and overall health, and increasing focus on oral hygiene.
Additionally, a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Medical and Surgical Sciences found that malocclusion may negatively affect patients' self-image. Correcting these functional irregularities may lead to feelings of increased self-esteem while also improving one's ability to speak and eat.
Other cosmetic dental procedures like bonding, crowns, inlays, onlays, and veneers can help repair cracked or broken teeth. By providing additional support, these treatments protect the teeth from further damage and can maintain the remaining tooth. All cosmetic dental procedures also encourage an increased focus on dental hygiene as part of upkeep. The result is improved dental health, directly correlated with improved overall health.
“Despite what the name may imply, cosmetic dentistry has more than just aesthetic benefits.”
Clear Aligners for Senior Pictures
Clear aligners, such as Invisalign®, have been growing in popularity over recent years. For many patients, these "invisible braces'' are an appealing alternative to traditional options, as they are more unobtrusive aesthetically. While conventional braces move teeth through brackets connected by wires, invisible aligners use a series of custom-made mouthpieces consisting of clear plastic or acrylic material.
Clear aligners are also removable, making it easier for patients to brush and floss well. Thus, it may be easier to maintain a thorough dental hygiene routine than with traditional braces. Treatment time with clear aligners depends on a case-by-case basis. On average, however, patients usually complete treatment within 10 to 24 months. Consequently, it is best to schedule a consultation well in advance of any senior photos.
Clear aligners are best-suited for teens and adults with mild or moderate orthodontic issues. Those with more severe conditions, however, may require more involved treatment with traditional braces. Our qualified team works closely with our patients to determine an individualized treatment plan for their needs.
“While conventional braces move teeth through brackets connected by wires, invisible aligners use a series of custom-made mouthpieces consisting of clear plastic or acrylic material.”
Dental Veneers for Senior Pictures
Dental veneers, also known as dental porcelain laminates, are thin, tooth-colored shells that cover the front surface of the teeth. They may consist of porcelain or resin composite materials, and they can enhance teeth's color, shape, size, or length. Veneers may be able to help patients whose teeth are chipped or broken, discolored, irregularly shaped, misaligned, worn down, uneven, or have gaps between them. Patients may be able to get veneers for one or more teeth.
Veneers are a natural-looking tooth enhancement option that do not require any prior, extensive shaping. Porcelain veneers, in particular, are stain-resistant and well-tolerated by gum tissue. By effectively replacing the outer layer of the teeth (or enamel), veneers can give the appearance of a more symmetrical smile without actually moving your teeth.
It typically takes about three dental appointments to get veneers. During the initial consultation, the patient will tell Huntington Dental Excellence about the results they want, and Huntington Dental Excellence will conduct a thorough examination to determine if veneers are right for them. The second appointment consists of preparation, where the teeth have their surfaces reshaped and Huntington Dental Excellence makes a model or impression of the teeth. In the third appointment, the veneers are finally bonded to the teeth. This entire process generally takes a few weeks, as does aftercare. Our team recommends booking the procedure a few months in advance of any senior photos.
“Veneers are a natural-looking tooth enhancement option that do not require any prior, extensive shaping.”
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Dental Bonding for Senior Pictures
In a dental bonding procedure, patients have a tooth-colored resin material applied and hardened onto their teeth to restore or improve their smile. Dental bonding may address several different cosmetic concerns, including chipped or cracked teeth, decayed teeth, discolored teeth, misshapen teeth, and receding gums. Additionally, dental bonding may help close spaces between teeth or make teeth look longer. Some patients also opt for dental bonding as an alternative to amalgam fillings.
Dental bonding is one of the simplest, quickest, most affordable, and least invasive cosmetic dental procedures available. It necessitates removing very little enamel and generally only requires anesthesia when performed to fill a cavity, to reshape the tooth through drilling, or to fix a chip near the nerve. Any preparation is minimal. Huntington Dental Excellence works closely with each patient to make sure they know what to expect. The entire process takes about 30 to 60 minutes per tooth and can be completed in one appointment.
“Dental bonding is one of the simplest, quickest, cheapest, and least invasive cosmetic dental procedures available.”
Questions Answered on This Page
Q. Are there any functional benefits to improving my smile for senior pictures?
Q. What is the difference between clear aligners and traditional braces?
Q. When should I get veneers before senior photos?
Q. Will I need anesthesia to have dental bonding done?
Q. What is a composite filling?
People Also Ask
Q. How long does teeth whitening treatment take?
Q. How effective is professional teeth whitening treatment?
Q. What are teeth whitening options at the dentist?
Q. What are some examples of purely cosmetic procedures?
Q. What types of restorative dental procedures are available?
Q. What are some of the types of cosmetic dental treatments?
Composite Fillings
Composite fillings are relatively new and commonly used in place of traditional silver amalgam fillings. Tooth-colored composite resin can both save a tooth from further decay and damage and appear to be a healthy natural tooth. This material primarily serves patients with mild to moderate decay as drilling or removing extensive decay can lead to further complications in the tooth and surrounding area.
Composite filling treatments are done in the same way as traditional amalgam fillings. The patient will be given a local anesthetic to numb the area. Once numbing is in effect, we will remove the decay and place the composite material. A special light bonds the material to the remaining tooth structure and hardens it into one singular piece. Although fillings are generally done to "fill" a decayed tooth, composite is also used to repair broken or damaged teeth.
“Tooth-colored composite resin can both save a tooth from further decay and damage and appear to be a healthy natural tooth.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How early should I start receiving dental treatments before senior pictures?
A. Young patients should begin seeking treatment as early as possible. Some treatments, such as teeth-straightening, may take up to one or two years to complete. Patients may also need more than one treatment to achieve their desired results. Furthermore, cosmetic treatments are often performed after completing all necessary dental procedures that affect oral health, which may prolong total treatment time.
Q. How much do cosmetic treatments cost?
A. The cost of treatment depends on the patient's case, procedure type, severity, and age. Crest offers a list of common cosmetic treatments and their average costs. We recommend speaking with your insurance provider to determine what your plan covers and discuss possible co-pays.
Q. How is cosmetic treatment determined?
A. In most cases, patients seeking cosmetic treatment are unsatisfied with their smile. In other cases, their dentist may recommend treatment or inform them of their options. In either case, a general or cosmetic dentist will likely perform a smile assessment and physical examination to determine the right treatments for them. From then, they will discuss their treatment options, duration, benefits, and cost.
Q. Are cosmetic treatments safe?
A. Cosmetic treatments are generally safe unless a patient is going through with it against a dentist's recommendations. Some patients may not be qualified for a certain treatment or procedure, such as with composite fillings - decay cannot be extensive or close to the nerve. Safety, risk factors, and complications are all discussed during the initial consultation.
Q. What is the fastest treatment for an enhanced smile?
A. Any cosmetic treatment that can be performed in one or two visits is the quickest way to achieve a new and improved smile. These include dental veneers, bonding, and composite fillings, although there is a plethora of other same-day treatments. Communicate your desired results and timeframe during the consultation, and we can help narrow down options that fall within them.
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Cosmetic Dentistry Terminology
Learn More Today
Improving your smile for senior pictures may leave you with feelings of self-confidence and overall enhanced dental health that outlast high school. We at Huntington Dental Excellence may be able to help. Call us today at (626) 657-6335 to schedule an appointment and learn more.
Helpful Related Links
- American Dental Association (ADA). Glossary of Dental Clinical Terms. 2025
- American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry® (AACD). Home Page. 2025
- WebMD. WebMD’s Oral Care Guide. 2025
About our business, license, and website security
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