You expect to see a few gray hairs and wrinkles as time passes, but your teeth can also give away your age. If your pearly whites have lost their luster or are showing signs of wear and tear, you can turn back the clock with cosmetic dentistry. Here are 4 ways you can look younger by revamping your smile.
1. Reverse Stains and Discoloration
Teeth change color over time from the food and drinks you consume. Poor oral hygiene, smoking, and other factors also can make your teeth look dirty or brown. Not to mention, your enamel gets thinner with age, causing more of your yellowish dentin to be visible.
No matter the reason behind your tooth discoloration, you can get your teeth 8 shades whiter using a professional whitening system:
- In-Office: You can achieve a noticeably whiter smile during your lunch break. A whitening gel is applied to your teeth and activated using a special dental light for three 15-minute intervals.
- At-Home: You can reach in-office results from the comfort of your home. Your dentist will give you trays and a professional-grade whitening gel to use daily for 2 weeks.
2. Replace Metal Restorations
Metals have been used for generations for fillings and crowns, but modern restorations are made of tooth-colored materials. Old crowns and fillings instantly alert people to your age. You can replace them using natural-looking solutions, like:
- Composite Fillings: A biocompatible resin is shaded to the color of your enamel to blend in with your tooth.
- All-Ceramic Crowns: All-ceramic materials are used to create durable, high-quality restorations that look like real teeth.
3. Fix Damaged Teeth
Teeth can show signs of damage over time. You have multiple options to fix chips, cracks, and other imperfections, like:
- Cosmetic Dental Bonding: A composite resin can fix minor flaws, like decay, exposed roots, or chips.
- Porcelain Veneers: Bonding veneers to the teeth visible when smiling corrects many issues at once, like stains, chips, and gaps.
4. Replace Missing Teeth
Replacing missing teeth can take 10 years off your appearance. You have more options than ever before to fill the gaps in your smile, including:
- Bridge: A porcelain bridge is used to fill the gap of consecutive tooth loss, which is held in place using crowns bonded to adjacent teeth.
- Patrial: Prosthetic teeth are set in a gum-colored base that has a metal framework to clip or clasp onto your remaining teeth to stay in place.
- Full Denture: A gum-colored base supports prosthetic teeth that rest on top of your gums and are held in place using suction.
- Dental Implants: A dental implant replaces the entire tooth structure, providing unmatched benefits.
Your cosmetic dentist will examine your mouth and learn more about your goals to refresh your smile.
About Dr. Sara Saba
Dr. Saba achieved her dental degree from the University of Maryland and has regularly continued her education in various specialties, like cosmetic dentistry. She has also completed additional courses in Invisalign, BOTOX, and more. Request an appointment through her website or call (301) 900-2808.