When people meet you, they naturally make an estimate of your age. It’s not an intentional thing, it’s just something our brain does. And when people are judging your age, they are naturally looking at your smile as well as other aspects of your appearance to come up with a sense of how old you are.
If you’re trying to look younger and more vibrant, rejuvenating your smile is an important part of that. Here are aspects of your smile that don’t stand the test of time and may need attention, and information about how to recapture the lost smile of our youth.
Color and Luster
Youthful smiles are whiter than older smiles. This is partly because of staining due to dark colored foods, drinks, and cigarette smoke. Teeth whitening can help with removing many of the stains, but it won’t always give you the whiteness you want from your smile.
Tooth enamel is damaged by many things as we age: abrasive food, acid excretion from bacteria, and even brushing your teeth can wear out tooth enamel. This can roughen the surface of your teeth, giving them less luster than they had when you were young. The enamel is also thinner, so it will show more of the layer below, called the dentin, and tooth whitening can’t do anything about that.
Youthful Proportion
Your central incisors, the two central teeth in your smile, can be a marker of your age. They are larger than your other teeth. Not only are they wider, but they’re initially taller as well. With time, they can be worn down to be the same height as your other teeth. How long this takes depends on the health of your bite and the initial difference between your central incisors and the other teeth. Some people are just born with older-looking teeth.
Showy
When we are young, our smile is broad and shows off a lot of tooth. At age 25, the average person shows about an inch and a half of tooth and gums, but that’s completely disappeared by age 45. The loss of tooth relates partly to changes in the muscles of the face, and partly to the wearing down of our teeth.
Restoring Your Youthful Smile
If you want to bring back the smile you enjoyed in younger, happier days, we can help. In addition to teeth whitening, we offer porcelain veneers that can be used to change the size, proportion, and color of your teeth.They can be used to bring back all the characteristics of a youthful smile so you can be confident that when you smile, you look as young as you feel.
Please contact Country Club Dentistry in Rancho Mirage today to learn more about your smile restoration options.
