As time passes, you are prepared for a few gray hairs or laugh lines, but you might not have expected your teeth to look aged. Your smile can be one of the first features to show the passing of time. Discoloration, chips, and other issues can add years to your appearance. Thankfully, you can turn back the clock with cosmetic dentistry. Here are 3 ways your cosmetic dentist can make you look years younger.
1. Reverse Stains and Discoloration
Teeth change color over the years for various reasons, like poor oral hygiene, smoking, or drinking a lot of coffee. Not to mention, your enamel gets thinner with time, which causes more of your yellowish dentin to be visible.
You can refresh your smile with professional teeth whitening. Your dentist can get your teeth up to 8 shades whiter using an in-office or take-home kit. You’ll enjoy noticeable results that can last for many months or years with the right maintenance, like brushing and flossing.
2. Enjoy Natural-Looking Restorations
Metal fillings and crowns have been used for decades to repair damaged teeth, but tooth-colored materials are the standard for modern restorations. Nothing shows your age quicker than a dark filling or crown blemishing your smile.
Your cosmetic dentist can remove old restorations and replace them with a solution that looks natural. Instead of metal, a composite resin can be used to treat tooth decay. It is mercury-free and biocompatible to support your oral and general health. It is shaded to the color of your enamel to blend in with your tooth structure, so no one will know what is there.
As an alternative to metal crowns, all-ceramic materials create strong restorations that look natural. You’ll never have to worry about a crown or filling sticking out like a sore thumb.
3. Fill the Gaps in Your Smile
Teeth are meant to last forever, but that’s not a reality for many Americans. If you’ve lost a tooth or two over the years, it can add a decade to your appearance. Researchers have found that replacing missing teeth can take 10 years off your appearance.
You have more options than ever to fill the gaps in your smile, like bridges, partials, dentures, and dental implants.
If you want to look younger, you don’t have to go under the knife. Instead, schedule a consultation with your cosmetic dentist. They will revamp your pearly white using a personalized treatment plan.
About Dr. Michael Zhang
Dr. Zhang earned his dental degree from the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dentistry and has regularly continued his education in many specialties, like orthodontics, laser dentistry, and cosmetic dentistry. He strives to help each patient achieve their best smile. Request an appointment through our website or call (714) 559-3883.