Aging changes your body in many ways, and your smile is no exception. Over time, concerns like thinning enamel, prolonged or repeated exposure to dark foods and drinks, and minor chips and cracks can leave you feeling self-conscious about your appearance.
Many older adults want to boost their appearance with one or more cosmetic dental services, but worry that they’ve waited too long to make changes. However, there’s no age restriction on upgrading your grin. Continue reading to learn about 3 ways your dentist can improve your looks no matter how old you are!
Option #1: Decrease Discoloration
Do you have stubborn stains that you can’t seem to brush away? After years of consuming deeply toned foods, like wine, coffee, tea, tomatoes, and berries, your smile can start to look more yellow or muddy brown than pearly white.
Fortunately, you don’t have to live with tinted teeth forever. Your dentist offers professional whitening services that can lighten your grin up to eight shades in a single in-office appointment for instant results. Many providers also offer take-home kits with everything you need to achieve an ideal outcome from the comfort of your living room, including ultra-concentrated gels intended to mitigate sensitivity, and custom-fitted trays to avoid application errors.
Option #2: Cover Chips and Cracks
Enamel may be the hardest substance your body produces, but that doesn’t mean it’s invincible. This protective outer layer shields your teeth from damage and decay, but it doesn’t regenerate itself. Daily biting and chewing eventually wear it down and make it more likely to sustain surface injuries, like chips and cracks, in your later years.
Thankfully, your dentist can cover minor aesthetic concerns with porcelain veneers. These ceramic shells are customized to match or improve the appearance of your natural teeth, then are cemented over the front surfaces to hide minor issues.
Option #3: Mask Misalignments
Many seniors are surprised to notice their teeth shifting out of alignment later in life, but this is unfortunately not uncommon. Over the years, the ligaments and muscles connected to your jaw and mouth loosen as gravity eventually takes its toll. As they grow slack, your teeth can shift or rotate, which detracts from your appearance.
Your dentist can address this by strategically arranging porcelain veneers to mask misalignments. It’s worth noting that this is a cosmetic fix and doesn’t functionally exert additional force on your pearly whites to straighten them.
If you’re concerned about how aging has affected your appearance, your dentist can provide cosmetic treatments to give you a younger-looking smile!
Meet the Author
Dr. Bryan Villescas enjoys helping improve patients’ quality of life by enhancing their oral health and appearance. He studied at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine and has completed continuing education courses with prestigious institutions, like the Academy of General Dentistry, Spear Education, and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Today, he provides various aesthetic services to boost your confidence by improving your looks, including veneers and teeth whitening. You can request an appointment on the website or call (941) 627-9900.