Straighten and whiten your teeth: How this quick, non-invasive dental treatment can improve your oral health (2024)

A set of healthy, well-aligned white teeth is a major confidence boost. Aesthetics aside, taking steps to get your pearly whites in good shape also means addressing issues that could have detrimental effects on your dental health.

To Dr Ernest Rex Tan, founder and director of Smile Inc Dental Surgeons, your smile can determine if you make a good first impression as it is a prominent feature of your face. “Imagine meeting someone for the first time and being afraid to smile because of unsightly teeth,” he says.

Sometimes, issues such as poor teeth alignment can also lead to fractured teeth, a decline in gum health, loose teeth and jaw joint soreness. “Patients can also find it difficult to chew and may have associated headaches, jaw and neck aches,” adds Dr Tan.

Contrary to popular belief, braces and aligners are not the only ways to improve one’s smile, he says. In fact, years of having braces or aligner treatment can also affect your tooth enamel.

Dr Tan explains that this is because these attachments or brackets are bonded for long periods of time to the patient’s teeth. This makes teeth challenging to clean, which can result in plaque or bacteria build-up and caries. The mechanical removal of brackets can also damage tooth enamel, and the adhesive that is left behind can attract and trap plaque, causing decay and discolouration.

That is why Smile Inc introduced Straight White Teeth (SWT), a customised solution born out of Dr Tan’s three decades of experience, which is designed to correct a range of dental conditions with just one procedure, and without extractions.

The non-invasive SWT is an alternative to traditional braces and aligners for adults looking to straighten their teeth. It can also be a more efficient and effective alternative to getting conventional crowns and veneers.

How the Straight White Teeth procedure works

SWT is a versatile treatment that can address a range of teeth concerns.

If you have dark triangular gaps between your teeth due to tooth movement from a previous orthodontic treatment, SWT can be used to recontour and enhance the shape and proportion of the teeth, closing off the gaps to prevent food from getting trapped, says Dr Tan. It can also address tooth discolouration, patchiness, or uneven shade and texture.

He says: “SWT can rejuvenate the teeth’s surface to make it smoother and whiter, and easier to clean. When the gaps are narrowed, they will not trap excessive plaque and will be more resistant to discolouration.”

If you want to straighten your teeth, but prefer not to use braces or aligners, SWT can help you do that through contouring and adding resin and ceramic. Another added benefit: The SWT procedure will focus only on specific areas of the teeth that require contouring.“Only the area or angle that needs to be addressed will be treated, instead of the entire tooth surface,” says Dr Tan.

Other dental conditions SWT can alleviate include crooked front teeth, gaps between the front teeth, protrusions, rotated front teeth, overly large or small-sized teeth, uneven asymmetrically shaped or positioned teeth, sharp-fanged front teeth, jagged and chipped incisor teeth, collapsed front teeth, and missing teeth.

A healthy smile, a healthy you

Dr Tan says SWT can typically be completed in one or two visits, depending on the extent and complexity of the patient’s condition. Each session lasts between 80 minutes and 90 minutes.

Since there is hardly any downtime, you can eat, drink and talk normally right after the procedure, adds Dr Tan. Other dental treatments such as cleaning and polishing can also be done during the same visit alongside SWT, as long as there is sufficient time.

From his past decades of experience, Dr Tan says he has seen a consistent uptick in patients opting for SWT after finding out that it is a non-invasive and quick procedure that does not require surgery or extractions.

He adds: “Positive changes in my patients’ lives include improved gum health, as smoother tooth surfaces are easier to clean and are less of a food or plaque trap. This also makes them less prone to caries. Plus, a transformed smile gives them added confidence.”

However, not everyone is suitable for the procedure, notes Dr Tan. This includes patients who have gum disease or those who have an unconventional skeletal structure. For patients with gum diseases or poor oral hygiene, SWT can still be done once these conditions have been treated, adds Dr Tan.

With the right care, the results from SWT can last for many years, says Dr Tan. Any wear and tear over time can also be resolved immediately, reinforcing the area that is worn or chipped, so that your smile can be as good as new – without having to go through the entire process again.

He also emphasises the need to be vigilant to maintain good oral health. “Keep up with daily oral hygiene maintenance, such as brushing, flossing and seeing the dentist every six months. Avoid chewing on hard nuts, ice and bones, and do not use your teeth to crack open crabs and shellfish.”

For more information, visit Smile Inc Dental Surgeons.