Why your smile looks the way it does

Every smile is the sum of five things. Once you can name them, you can stop guessing at treatments and start matching the fix to the actual problem.

1. Shape

Chips, worn edges, teeth that are shorter or narrower than their neighbours. Shape problems are usually the quickest to fix — often in a single appointment.

2. Shade

Staining from tea, coffee, wine and smoking sits on or just under the surface. Deeper discolouration (from old root canals or childhood antibiotics) behaves differently and needs a different approach — which is why whitening works brilliantly for some people and barely at all for others.

3. Alignment

Crowding, gaps and rotation. Small alignment issues can sometimes be disguised; genuine movement needs orthodontics.

4. Gums

The frame around the picture. Red, receding or uneven gums change how the whole smile reads — and gum health always comes before cosmetic work.

5. Wear

Grinding and acid erosion slowly shorten and flatten teeth. It's the problem people notice last and dentists notice first.