Aging and Your Smile: How Time Affects Your Teeth

As each year unfolds, so does the story of your smile. Aging is a natural part of life, and your smile, much like the rest of you, changes over time. While some of the effects of aging can be less than desirable, there are good aspects to it. Besides, as far as your teeth are concerned, there are ways you can turn back the clock if you desire. Cosmetic dentistry can help!

Continue reading to learn how the aging process changes your teeth, and how modern cosmetic dentistry can help.

How Does Age Affect Teeth?

Several basic biological things happen as you age, and many of them can affect your teeth:

Tooth Wear

The outer layer of your teeth, enamel, is the hardest substance in your body. It’s continually repairing itself through remineralization by drawing in nutrients from the food you eat. However, as you age, your body is less able to absorb these nutrients. This can make your teeth a little more brittle, leading to chips, cracks, and uneven surfaces.

Discoloration

The inner layer of your teeth, dentin, is naturally a yellow color. As you grow older and your enamel thins, this layer becomes more prominent. This leads to darker, more yellowed teeth which can be worsened by the presence of enamel stains.

Gum Disease

Your immune system begins to weaken as you age, making the possibility of gum disease more likely. This disease starts with gingivitis which causes inflammation and bleeding gums and ends with periodontitis which can cause tooth loss.

What Can Cosmetic Dentistry Do for an Aging Smile?

You’re never too old to fix your teeth with cosmetic dentistry. There are many treatments that can return your smile to a more youthful appearance:

Teeth Whitening

This simple and effective treatment allows you to remove years of stains from your tooth enamel. Whether you opt for an in-office procedure or a take-home kit, you’ll get brilliant results. These treatments use concentrated whitening agents like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to penetrate tooth enamel and foam away stains.

Dental Bonding

This treatment is great if you have a few issues with your teeth resulting from wear. Your dentist will first apply a dental-grade resin to the surface of the tooth. Then, they use shaping tools and a blue curing light to harden the resin. The result is a restored tooth with better appearance and function.

Porcelain Veneers

These custom-made porcelain shells offer a way to cover multiple dental imperfections at once. First, a thin layer of enamel is removed from the surface of our teeth. Next, the dentist applies a strong bonding adhesive and covers the teeth with the shells. This treatment fixes chips, cracks, and even slightly crooked teeth!

No matter what issues you may have with your teeth as you get older, cosmetic dentistry can return your look to an earlier time. If you’ve been unhappy with what you see in the mirror when you smile, contact your dentist for a cosmetic dentistry consultation. A new smile for a new age could be just an appointment away.

About the Author

Dr. Terry F. Rakowsky is a talented and professional dentist with over 35 years of experience in transforming smiles with cosmetic dentistry and beyond. Dr. Rakowsky pursued his dental doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and then furthered his education at the world-renowned Dawson Academy and Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. Call (215) 348-2224 to schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation at Terry F. Rakowsky, DMD, or visit the website to explore other services