If you try to smile without showing your teeth some or all of the time, it may be due to a dental-related issue that you don't like. Instead of changing how you smile, you can change the look of your smile for the better by visiting your dentist. One issue that can affect some peoples' smiles is teeth that are either too short or too long. People generally favor evenness across their top and bottom teeth, and when certain teeth are either too short or too long, their smiles may suffer. Your dentist can shorten and lengthen teeth to give you the look that you want.

Long Teeth

Some people have teeth that are noticeably longer than others. If this is the case for you, you may predominantly focus on these teeth when you see pictures of yourself or catch a glimpse of your smile in the mirror. If your long teeth are among your upper teeth, you may have a significant amount of self-consciousness about this issue because these teeth could be very visible when you're eating, talking, or smiling. Longer teeth on the bottom aren't often as noticeable but can certainly still bother you.

Short Teeth

Short teeth may bother you in a similar manner. If you have even one tooth among your upper or lower teeth that is shorter than those around it, it will affect the evenness of that row of teeth. In some situations, a tooth that is dramatically shorter may make it appear as though you have a missing tooth. For example, if you have a shorter tooth among your upper teeth, and you smile only enough for the bottom edges of your upper teeth to be visible, the shorter tooth may remain entirely out of sight. You may notice that this issue makes you feel embarrassed and that you try to avoid smiling.

The Procedure

Talk to your dentist about the teeth that concern you because they're shorter or longer than those around them, and you'll learn what procedures your dentist can perform for you. Such procedures are relatively simple but will dramatically change the look of your mouth and may also affect how you feel about yourself. For example, your dentist can carefully sand down a tooth's excess length to give it more of a natural look. Conversely, your dentist can add a bonding agent to a short tooth to add length to it. 

Contact a dental office like ComfortCare  Dental for more information.