Perfecting your smile is something people of all ages are trying to do. From teenagers getting braces to adults seeking solutions to long-standing problems such as gaps or crooked teeth, the task of improving your smile is often a lifelong commitment. Fortunately, advantages in dentistry have made smile perfecting possible for everyone. There are a variety of methods you can use if you are trying to get the smile you have always wanted. Read on to learn about some of these possible solutions for perfecting your smile:

Dental Veneers: This is a treatment that benefits both those looking for aesthetic improvement and those hoping to fix damaged teeth. The dental veneers—a slim coating of restorative material that is put over the surface of a tooth—can restore one tooth or multiple teeth. One of the dental veneer’s most popular uses is to close a gap between teeth and give a set of teeth a smoother, more polished look. Other typical uses of dental veneers include lengthening and straightening teeth and providing discolored teeth with a more consistent color and shape. Dental veneers are particularly popular with actors and actresses in Hollywood, but are affordable enough for those who don’t make their living on sound stages!

Bonding: This is a viable solution for perfecting your smile because it can be used for jobs both minor and major. Bonding (placing a slim plastic coating on the surface of a tooth, which is subsequently draped in bonding material) solves issues ranging from stained teeth and misalignments to more complex problems such as restoring decayed or chipped teeth and filling in gaps between teeth. It can also remedy gum recession.

Whitening: This is a popular option for perfecting your smile because it is relatively simple and can even be done at home. However, getting teeth whitened by dentists is a preferred option because they can complete the whitening far faster—by putting bleaching gel and light on the teeth—than a patient can, at home. Regardless of how you choose to undergo the whitening process, it will live up to its name by removing stains and turning your teeth perfectly white—the pearly whiteness that so many of us want yet so few of us can achieve!

Invisalign: This has become an increasingly popular choice for perfecting your smile because it is a decidedly modern take on the old-fashioned method of shifting teeth in your mouth. Everyone cringes when the word "braces" is bandied about, but Invisalign aligners are almost invisible and will align your teeth without putting metal in your mouth. In addition, Invisalign aligners can be removed at any time and allow patients to eat whatever they want. More good news: As Invisalign has grown more common, insurance providers have begun covering it more and more.

Perfecting your smile can be a combination of treatments – from bonding chipped or broken teeth, and then whitening a smile that has been perfectly aligned by Invisalign – to a complete set of veneers after a brief stint with traditional braces. However you choose to improve the health and appearance of your teeth, whether with a combination of treatments or just one, there is no better time than the present to have the beautiful, eye-catching smile you’ve always wanted!