As you journey through life, your smile bears witness to the passage of time. Just as your body and mind evolve with age, so too does the appearance of your teeth and gums. Understanding how aging affects your smile is the first step in forming a plan to fight it. If you want to restore some of your youthful glow, continue reading. You’ll learn how aging affects your oral appearance and some great cosmetic dentistry treatments to slow the march of time’s impact.
1. Tooth Discoloration
Over time, your teeth naturally change color. As enamel thins with age, the yellowish dentin beneath becomes more visible, leading to a duller appearance. Additionally, food pigments and the staining compounds in coffee, tea, and tobacco can accelerate discoloration. This ultimately results in an aged smile with a yellow hue.
The Solution: Teeth whitening treatments use concentrated whitening agents that penetrate your tooth enamel. They will then gently lift and dissolve even deep-seated stains to leave behind a brilliant white grin.
2. Tooth Wear
Decades of chewing, biting, and grinding can take their toll on your teeth. As you age, the enamel gradually wears down, making the teeth more susceptible to damage and decay. This ultimately leads to uneven surfaces, chipping, and fractures. These cosmetic cracks can affect the overall aesthetics of your smile, altering its symmetry and uniformity.
The Solution: Dental veneers are a one-stop shop for covering and fixing your cosmetic dental woes. These thin ceramic sheathes cover and protect your teeth from cracks, chips, staining, and even slight misalignments.
3. Tooth Loss
One of the most significant changes associated with aging is tooth loss. Gum disease, severe tooth decay, and trauma can result in the loss of one or more teeth over time. Tooth loss not only affects the function of your smile but also its appearance.
Your teeth are responsible for keeping your jawbone strong and stimulated. When that process stops, the bone can thin, leading to a sunken and hollow appearance. These changes can impact your self-esteem and confidence, leading to a lower quality of life.
The Solution: Dentures and dental implants are both fantastic treatments that can address tooth loss. Dental implants, in particular, also solve the problem of bone loss as the titanium implant keeps your jawbone strong.
Aging has a profound impact on the appearance of your smile, from changes in tooth color and structure to alterations in facial contours. By understanding these changes, you can age gracefully, using cosmetic dentistry to retain your youthful looks and winning smile.
About the Practice
If you’re worried that aging will bring down your smile aesthetics, the expert team of Dentistry At Windermere can help. They’ve perfected treatments that can keep your grin looking young and vibrant. Whether you need dentures, dental implants, or anything in between, there is a qualified dentist who can guide you through your treatment step-by-step. Call (770) 205-1212 to schedule a smile makeover consultation or visit the website to browse their treatment menu.