In a world where we have less time to ourselves than ever before, the speed at which we can access dental treatment becomes a huge factor in choosing whether or not to go ahead and with a given procedure.

If you’re seeking a better-looking smile (whether through teeth whitening or changing the shape, alignment or symmetry of your teeth), there are ways of achieving this in a relatively short time (with no compromise on the quality of the end result).

These are the fastest ways to get a better-looking smile

Teeth whitening

Teeth whitening takes very little time, and yet, it can completely transform your teeth.

If you want the longest-lasting results possible with teeth whitening so that you can minimise the time spent on top-ups, at-home teeth whitening using custom-made whitening trays and gels prescribed by your dentist is the way forward.

If you’re keen to have whiter teeth within a single day, in-chair whitening is also possible, with certain protocols like Philips Zoom! offering teeth 8 shades whiter in a single appointment. By contrast, at-home teeth whitening from Enlighten and Boutique (two leading brands for teeth whitening in the UK) can whiten your shade by 16 shades (but you’ll need to wear the whitening trays for at least 14 days if your teeth are severely discoloured when starting treatment). You also won’t need to come back to the dentist for any appointments – you can simply purchase some new gels and use your custom-made trays for years to come.

Summary

• Use your whitening trays again and again at home (no further carried out by a dentist needed)

• Long-lasting results (up to 3 years before you need top-ups)

• Can take as little as 4 or 5 days for patients who don’t have severely discoloured teeth (14 days for severely discoloured teeth)

• Choose in-chair whitening if you want a same-day result

Composite bonding

Once upon a time, veneers were the only clinical means of dealing with imperfect teeth, covering everything from discolouration to cracks, chips and gaps in your teeth.

For many patients, composite bonding has become a much more appealing treatment; it’s quicker (it takes one appointment!), less invasive, and less expensive. This said, it isn’t as long-lasting, and you will need to have treatment top-ups every 5 to 9 years (versus 10-15 years with veneers).

Few people actually manage to keep their composite bonded teeth their original shade after 7 or 8 years, as the composite is fairly susceptible to staining from tannins (found in tea, coffee, and red wine - astringent foods like citrus fruits can also cause the composite to erode and become more translucent.

At Nova Smiles, we’ve helped many people skip the consultation phase of treatment with composite bonding, by pairing them up with one of our respected referral dentists.

Summary

• Takes just one appointment

• The appointment is just 1 hour long.

• You may not even need a consultation - speak to our dentists at Nova Smiles to find out more about how to get a better-looking smile in fewer dentist appointments. As dentists working in central London, both Dr Alice and Dr Zaeem know how precious their patients’ time is, and how to make the most efficient use of it.

Short-term orthodontics

Contrary to common belief, orthodontic treatment doesn’t always have to take months and months.

If you only want orthodontics for your front teeth, there are options (including Invisalign) to correct anomalies like crowding, misalignments and gaps in your teeth. Other removable appliances like cFast and the Inman Aligner are respected orthodontic appliances for minor corrections with just the front teeth (these can take as little as 6 weeks to work their magic).

Summary

• Orthodontic treatment isn’t just for treating your whole mouth.

• Orthodontics can be quick – taking just 6 weeks with certain appliances.

Speak to a dentist about faster ways to improve your teeth

If you’ve spoken to a dentist in the past about improving the appearance of your teeth, and they’ve come back with lengthy treatment plans, get in touch with our dentists.

Nova Smiles works with reputable referral dentists, who can give you a quote and time scale for the treatments above.

Simply fill in this form to chat to them (free of charge) about what you’d like to improve, and they’ll let you know what the next steps are.