Look Younger Just By Going To the Dentist

By Andrew M. Sklar, DDS

Andrew M. Sklar, DDS, PC

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Look Younger Just By Going To the Dentist

Teeth show your age just as much as drooping muscles or sagging skin. Age-related changes can dim your smile and change your facial structure, making you look older than your age. Even if you get regular dental care and keep your teeth white, you might want to consider other dental enhancements.

Veneers and Crowns For Worn Teeth

Decades of chewing, tooth-grinding, or clenching can wear down your teeth. As teeth get shorter, the distance between the chin and nose also shortens, making you look older. Veneers and crowns can lengthen shortened teeth and restore your natural tooth shape, position and color.

Implants and Fixed Bridges For Missing Teeth

The shape of your face is partly determined by your teeth, particularly in the cheek areas, because the muscles are supported by the side teeth. If you have one or more missing teeth, your cheeks can cave inward and create an older, drawn appearance.

Implants and fixed bridges are possibilities for replacing missing teeth. To install a dental implant, a dentist will surgically implant a small titanium cylinder into the jawbone, attach a connector (called an abutment), and then attach a new crown to the abutment. A permanent or fixed bridge can replace one or more teeth by connecting to adjacent teeth with supporting crowns.

Non Metal Replacements For Deteriorated Fillings

If you’re middle-aged or older, you probably have one or more silver amalgam fillings. Over time, in addition to making your teeth look grey, the edges can open up and allow bacteria to get under the fillings. The mercury in these fillings is also a neurotoxin which, research has shown, can be released into the body over time, especially as teeth get worn. Old fillings can be replaced with nonmetal, tooth-colored fillings. It is best to find a dentist who is trained in the safe removal of mercury fillings.

Newly Fitted or Implant Supported Dentures For Poor Denture Fit

Even if your partial or complete dentures fit perfectly when they were new, they tend to become loose or misaligned as your mouth changes. It’s normal for the gums and underlying bone to change over time. Poorly fitting dentures can sometimes give you jowls and wrinkled skin as your muscles work overtime to keep the dentures in place. They can also affect the way you talk and your ability to chew food. Ask your dentist to periodically check the fit of your dentures.