How to Get a Younger-Looking Smile

One of the most common requests from our patients at Flemingsburg Dental Care is a “younger-looking smile.”  Most people start to notice a change in their smile sometime in their late 30’s or early 40’s, so the effects of aging on the teeth are generally slow.  Fortunately, there are lots of things that Dr. Moorhead can do to reverse the effects that have been building up over time.

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1. Tooth reshaping. Believe it or not, one of the most common ways a dentist can guess your age is by how evenly worn your teeth are.  The more uneven the smile, the younger the person tends to be.  The longer you live, the more you chew and grind your teeth, making them more even over time.  To give you back a more youthful look, we can:
   • Perform some minor re-shaping of the enamel on your front teeth.  This is a very non-invasive procedure, and you don’t even need to be numbed.
   • If you need more than a minor re-shaping, cosmetic dentistry offers a plethora of solutions including crowns and veneers, which would replace a portion to nearly all of the tooth structure.
   • If wear is just starting to become noticeable, or once you have the reshaping or cosmetic dentistry performed, you’ll want to protect your work from future wear.  This can be done by equilibrating, or “equalizing,” your bite so that all your biting surfaces hit at the same time without excessive force that can damage teeth and new dental work.  For patients that are restless sleepers or show signs that the brain actually causes them to grind their teeth when they sleep, a plastic device called a bite guard will protect your teeth from future wear, and hold your teeth in place to prevent shifting.  Bite guards are also wonderful for eliminating headaches caused by nightly teeth-grinding, a growing problem among adults.
2. Whiten your teeth. White, but not too white.  Most people by now are familiar with tooth-whitening procedures.  But have you ever wondered why people are so obsessed with white teeth?  You guessed it – whiter teeth make you look younger!  Our teeth are white when we’re young and become discolored over time as we drink, smoke, and get too busy to take proper care of them.  Getting back to white is easy to accomplish and Dr. Moorhead can help you choose a shade that’s right for you.  A couple of things to remember:
   • Don’t over-whiten.  If it’s too obvious, you’ve just traded one obvious fact for another.  A youthful smile is not obviously white, but healthfully white.  Your dentist or hygienist can help you choose the appropriate shade for your coloring.
   • Once you’ve whitened your teeth, avoid staining drinks such as grape juice, tea, and coffee, and definitely don’t smoke.
3. Correct decay issues. Unfortunately, many people believe that if a cavity doesn’t show when you smile, it’s not noticeable.  This just isn’t true.  When you laugh, your entire mouth shows and cavities are obvious.  So aside from the health-related reasons for getting tooth decay taken care of as soon as possible, also do so for a more youthful smile.  Not sure if you have decay issues?  Ask for an exam at the time of your next scheduled cleaning.
4. Replace silver fillings with tooth-colored fillings. There are a couple of reasons for this:  First, the amalgam material that was used several years ago to repair cavities in teeth expands and contracts, causing tiny cracks in your teeth that can become troublesome over time.  Replacing that material with new, solid, tooth-colored resin is just a good move health-wise.  Second, for the same reason that decay looks bad, those silver fillings cause you to “show your age” as well.  Replacing them is easy, just ask Dr. Moorhead.
5. Freshen breath. Over time, if you smoke or drink coffee heavily, your breath will develop a “stale” smell to it.  Good oral hygiene habits are a must if you fall into either of these categories, but there are several products on the market that will move the process along a little faster.  Products of this type are only available at professional retailers, like Flemingsburg Dental Care, so ask us about them at your next appointment.  Once you have the problem under control, remember:
   • Don’t smoke.
   • Get regular cleanings.
   • Drink water as much as possible.
6. Overcome “age” lines. Wrinkles around the mouth are a sure sign of aging, but there are several things you can do to avoid them, or get rid of them:
   • Quit smoking.
   • Smile – don’t frown.  Frowning requires more muscles than smiling and your face really will “freeze that way” – or at least appear to!
   • Use moisturizer around your lips, and wear a lipstick or gloss with an SPF of at least 15, preferably higher.
   • Cosmetic fillers can eliminate deep wrinkles and give you a temporary boost when necessary.
7. Crown lengthening is a procedure where the gum line is altered in order to expose more of the tooth structure.  Sometimes the procedure is necessary in order to properly restore a tooth, but it can be purely cosmetic also to give the result of a better smile line.  If your smile shows a lot of your gums at the top, ask Dr. Moorhead about this procedure.  It might require a referral to a specialist, but it will be well worth it in the long run.
8. Orthodontics (braces) is sometimes required to get the placement of the teeth just right and to correct bite problems that crop up in adulthood.  Whether you choose a traditional approach with standard wires and brackets, or qualify for a less-invasive method like Invisalign, Dr. Moorhead can help you in making your decision, as well as show you lots of “before” and “after” photos of patients with problems similar to yours.
9. Replace missing teeth. Not only can a hole in your smile make you look older, but missing teeth cause a couple of problems that contribute to a less youthful smile as well.  When a tooth is extracted and not replaced, the remaining teeth will begin to shift in order to compensate for the gap.  The result is 1) bite-related wear due to the new positioning, 2) sensitivity, 3) bite-related headaches, as well as other problems.  Depending upon the exact location of the missing tooth or teeth, there can be an effect on your facial muscles as well.  When molars are not replaced after extraction, jaws sink in.  Lips will become thinner and have that sunken-in look, affecting your overall appearance.  The three most common methods we use to replace natural teeth are:
   • Removable partial dentures, also known as “partials.”  Dr. Moorhead can make an appliance that contains a very natural-looking tooth or teeth to replace what you’re missing.
   • Bridges. The missing tooth or teeth are replaced with a device (the bridge) by crowning the tooth on either side of the teeth to be replaced.  Since the crowns are placed with cement, it is a more permanent and stable option over removable partials.
   • Dental implants are probably the most effective and durable option for replacing missing teeth in that the materials that are used are extremely natural looking, and the procedure itself involves attaching the implant root to your natural bone.  Dental implants have a very high success rate and our patients love the results.

​There you have it!  Everything you need to know about how to obtain a younger-looking smile.  If you have any questions or would like to discuss the possibilities for your treatment, please contact us at Flemingsburg Dental Care; we’d love to see you and help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted and deserve!