Recapture the Smile of Your Youth with Cosmetic Dentistry

When looking at old photos of yourself, does it have you wishing that time travel was a viable option? While that technology is still in the works, you can recapture your grinning glory days!

Even if you take excellent care of your teeth, aging will still take its toll on them. But there are a variety of options offered by your cosmetic dentist in Chaska that can help you look younger.

Keep reading to learn what aging can do to your smile and the cosmetic dentistry treatments available for you to turn back the clock.

How Can Aging Affect My Smile?

Father Time is undefeated. You can certainly practice diligent oral hygiene to try to slow the effects of aging, but it’s a part of life.

Tooth wear and discoloration are both natural as you get older with thinning enamel looking grayish and becoming more fragile, which increases the chances of cracking, chipping, and shearing. Beyond aging, teeth can become discolored from frequent consumption of pigmented foods and beverages, as well as tobacco use.

Chewing and especially grinding wear down teeth. This grinding, also known as bruxism, can be especially damaging at night over time. Gum disease can cause your gums to recede, which reduces the support for your teeth and makes it more likely they will become crooked.

There are several threats to the structure and appearance of your teeth that you must account for, especially as you get older, and the effects could become more pronounced.

Don’t Worry – Your Dentist Has the Solution

If you are in the market for a smile upgrade, your cosmetic dentist provides you with options to make it happen:

• Veneers: These extremely thin, customized layers of dental porcelain are designed to cover the front surface of your natural teeth instead of the entire tooth. They can hide a variety of dental flaws and deliver a comprehensive transformation to patients.
• Metal-Free Restorations: When a restoration is needed to correct severe decay or structural damage, patients don’t want their smiles marred by noticeable, dark metals. Metal-free restorations blend in seamlessly with natural tooth enamel. The all-ceramic material is durable, long-lasting, and typically allows for more remaining healthy tooth structure to be preserved.
• Direct Bonding: A simple and effective solution to address minor imperfections in a single appointment. A tooth-colored composite resin is applied to the affected tooth and precisely contoured to correct flaws in a natural and aesthetically pleasing fashion.
• Teeth Whitening: Professional teeth whitening rejuvenates discolored teeth for dramatic improvements that over-the-counter products can’t match. Choose from in-office Zoom whitening or custom-made, take-home whitening trays.

With differences in the degree of transformation, pricing, and treatment time, there is a cosmetic dentistry option that’s right for everyone. Maybe you can’t buy a time machine just yet, but it’s possible to rediscover a younger you!

About the Author

Dr. Mark Stapleton has been serving Chaska and surrounding communities for a decade and he loves the opportunity to build long-term relationships with patients while creating healthy, functional, and beautiful smiles. He has achieved Fellowship status in the Academy of General Dentistry, which demonstrates a top-tier level of commitment to clinical excellence and lifelong education. When it comes to cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Stapleton offers all the treatments referenced in this post, as well as a Smile Makeover, which combines two or more cosmetic or restorative procedures as part of a plan personalized for you. To schedule a consultation, visit his website or call (952) 448-2868.