Narrow Smiles
A narrow smile is a dental feature that some people have where only four-six teeth are visible when they smile, creating undesirable aesthetics with dark patches in the corner of their mouth due to the lack of light entering the smile. Most consider wide, broad smiles to be more aesthetically pleasing due to their symmetry, brightness and warmth.
It is possible to treat a narrow smile in many ways. This includes physical therapy, surgery and braces. However, the most effective treatment for a narrow smile, with the best chance of avoiding unnecessary risks or side effects, is using porcelain veneers to widen your smile.
Veneers are a versatile cosmetic dental treatment, capable of correcting many different faults that individuals may have with their teeth such as damage from tooth grinding or, in this case, narrow smiles.
What causes a narrow smile?
There are many reasons why someone may have a narrow smile.
The first reason is genetics. Our bone structure is dictated by our genetic makeup and jawbone arches are no different. Therefore, if narrow arches run in your family, then you are more likely to inherit a narrow smile as a result.
However, jawbone arches can be affected during development by external forces. Most commonly this is through bottle feeding and sucking on dummies when a young baby. The repeated application of this force on undeveloped arches can cause them to narrow which will have an impact on how a person smiles when they are fully developed.
Finally, another reason that someone could have a narrow smile is if they have missing teeth or large gaps between teeth. Having missing teeth in the corners of your mouth, known as the buccal corridor, will form dark areas when you smile that will give the impression that your smile is narrow.
How to get a wider smile
Narrow smiles are treated by cosmetic dentists through creating the effect that your smile is wider. By doing this, your smile becomes more traditionally aesthetically pleasing and is a brighter, warmer smile.
The best way to widen your smile is through the application of porcelain veneers. Doing so will redistribute the position of your teeth within your mouth so that they are more even. This will also change the relationship that your lips have with your veneer teeth which will have a positive effect on the aesthetics of your smile.
If you happen to have particularly narrow teeth then veneers will also widen your teeth which will fill out your mouth more when you smile and remove unwanted dark areas.
Not only will porcelain veneers improve the structure and position of your teeth when you smile but they will also make your smile brighter due to their colour and material, so if you have pitted teeth or otherwise damaged teeth then veneers will improve your smile further.
With the help of your cosmetic dentist, you will be able to select your preferred shade of white for your teeth. We recommend a natural looking shade of white that is not too bright when you smile.
Widen smile before and after
Before your appointment, you will have a consultation with your cosmetic dentist and have a 3D image of your teeth composed to see what your new teeth will look like.
To fit your veneers, there will need to be a certain percentage of tooth structure removed depending on your own personal circumstances.
After your veneers are fitted, you will notice that your smile looks wider and that there will be more than six teeth visible with no dark patches in the corners of your mouth.
For examples of how to widen a smile with veneers, take a look at some of our before and after pictures in our Smile Gallery.
FAQs
Can you make your mouth bigger?
You can make your mouth appear bigger, if you wish to do so, by receiving veneers.
While you cannot change your bone or facial structure without undergoing surgical procedures, porcelain veneers can change the way that your teeth sit within your mouth which will affect its external appearance.
Do veneers make your lips look bigger?
Yes, veneers can make your lips look bigger by changing the way that your lips sit on top of your teeth.
Having natural lips that are slightly plumper are an often brought up side effect that our patients enjoy when they receive porcelain veneers for whatever reason.
Can you widen your smile with veneers?
Yes! You can widen your smile with veneers and this is the method that we recommend using to do so if you have a narrow smile.
Veneers will change the shape of your smile by widening each individual tooth that they are applied to, which will create the appearance of having a wider smile by filling out your mouth.
Can composite bonding widen your smile?
Yes, composite bonding can widen your smile yet porcelain veneers will be a better choice of material to do so for most people.
Composite, being a plastic based material, cannot match porcelain in terms of its ability to be refined. It will also need to be maintained through annual appointments to keep it looking at its best.
Also, because composite bonding is recommended for people who do not wish to lose tooth structure, if you already have narrow teeth with limited tooth structure then getting porcelain veneers will be worth the investment.