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 It’s Never too Late to Straighten Your Smile

Braces as an adult? No way. At least, that was what I thought when my dentist told me that I was going to have to see an orthodontist about my crooked teeth. But my teeth were so misaligned that they were causing me pain when I chewed, so I decided to at least look into it. Turns out braces today are nothing like the ones my friends had when I was a kid. Mine were practically invisible, and I didn't need to wear them that long. I started this blog to encourage other people like me who are nervous about the prospect of wearing braces as an adult. My straight smile is so worth the trips to the orthodontist, and wearing braces was nowhere near as bad as I thought. Read on to find out more about how you can straighten your smile.

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It’s Never too Late to Straighten Your Smile

Correcting Negative Dental Changes That Occur With Age

by Jacqueline Byrd

As a person ages, they may notice that their smile is becoming increasingly unattractive. Cosmetic dentistry applications can help correct negative changes to the teeth and gums that may occur over time.

Here are a few changes that the teeth and gums of an older person nay suffer and how a cosmetic dentist can correct them.

Yellow Teeth

The color of your teeth may change as you age. Not only do colorants from the drinks and foods that you ingest build up in the pores of the tooth enamel, but some of the enamel may wear away over time.

The enamel is the whitest and outermost layer of the tooth material. As the enamel erodes with age, the dentin, which lies just beneath the enamel, starts to show through. The dentin, unlike the enamel, has a pale yellow appearance. The more the dentin is exposed, the greater the yellowing of the teeth.

To whiten the teeth, dental bleaching products can be used to help remove tobacco and food- and drink-based dental stains. However, dental bleaching agents are not effective at restoring the whiteness of a tooth with eroded enamel. Instead, dental veneers or dental crowns should be used. The devices conceal the yellowing of the teeth instead of trying to bleach it away.

A veneer covers the front portion of a discolored tooth. However, a crown covers the tooth's entire natural crown. Both devices are considered permanent and can beautify the teeth indefinitely.

Elongated Teeth

The gums may also recede with age, exposing more of the tooth material. As the teeth appear increasingly elongated, they can make your smile look less attractive.

To help restore the gingival tissues and correct the look of the teeth, the dentist can perform a gum graft. During the grafting procedure, the dentist removes some gingival tissue from the roof of the mouth and surgically adds it to the receding gums.

Missing Teeth

Many people lose teeth as they age. However, a missing tooth can be replaced using a dental bridge or a dental implant. A bridge is a permanent appliance that includes at least one false tooth and abutment crowns to hold the device in place. An implant is also permanent, but is installed inside the bone of the jaw before being fitted with an abutment and a dental crown. 

If you would like to improve the look of your smile as you grow older, schedule an appointment with a cosmetic dentist in your local area.

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