As you get older, your smile can show signs of wear and tear. Here's how time can wreak havoc on your teeth and how to fix signs of aging.
As you might know firsthand, your face will change as you grow older. Your cheeks might start drooping, or you’ll develop crow’s feet. That said, did you know your smile can also show signs of aging? Its beauty will begin to fade if you leave it alone. Luckily, you can always get cosmetic dentistry to revitalize your grin. Your local dental practice will even give you the details. To that end, here’s a summary of how aging impacts your smile’s looks.
While you might wish otherwise, teeth don’t improve with age. (Not naturally, anyway.) You’ll likely notice changes in them around your late 30s or 40s. In particular, their signs of aging will include the following:
Even for those who wore braces, teeth tend to shift in middle age. The result is a smile that could look crooked if you aren’t careful.
The issue stems from two factors: gravity and dental arches. With the first, remember that muscles in your face droop with age. This change increases the pressure on your teeth and can make them shift. Furthermore, dental arches also narrow over the years. Such narrowing will cause dental crowding and further misalign your chompers.
Aging doesn’t just change your actual teeth. It also affects your gums, causing the latter to recede slowly.
You see, your mouth accumulates wear and tear over time. That weathering includes your gums, which can suffer infections and overbrushing as years pass. As a result, the pink tissue will gradually recede from your teeth and expose their roots. Such exposure would then make you more vulnerable to cavities and other severe oral issues.
Yes, stains from foods and drinks can yellow your teeth. However, the truth is that some of this yellowing is age-related.
If you don’t already know, the dentin beneath your enamel is yellow. Furthermore, it becomes more visible as you age. Enamel gets thinner as you enter your middle years and beyond, allowing dentin to show through in a pronounced way. From there, even well-maintained teeth will start to look darker and more stained.
Fortunately, it’s possible to correct some of your smile’s aging. Just see a dentist for cosmetic dentistry! With the latter’s treatments, your grin will look younger in no time.
Consider dental veneers, for instance. These shells hide many smile flaws, including stains, chips, cracks, and more. You can even use them to cover dental misalignments. (This trait is how veneers earned their nickname, “instant orthodontics.”) Note, though, that placing the shells requires a dentist to remove some enamel.
Invisalign is another good option. By wearing its clear plastic trays, your smile would “straighten out” in roughly a year. The treatment also wouldn’t interfere with meals, as the aligner trays are removable. That way, your journey to an aligned grin wouldn’t come at the cost of a “metal mouth.”
Ultimately, aging will only ruin your smile if you let it. That being the case, see your local dentist to keep your teeth and gums young-looking!
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