Middle Age Teeth Crisis?

How we can help when your teeth have started to suffer the ravages of time

We all get older despite the fact that when we are young we tend not to think about it too much. From the moment that we spot that first lone grey hair, we know that we are approaching the middle years of our life. A lot of things change around this time and our teeth are no exception.

No longer are those sparkly white teeth as white as they used to be and it’s likely that other minor damages such as chips or cracks will have appeared. Some of us may have even lost a tooth or two from neglect or playing sports perhaps. But whatever the changes to your teeth, you can be assured that our experienced Canterbury dentists are here to help you.

In today’s Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic blog, we are going to take a look at some of the treatments that we have available to help you enjoy a more attractive smile as you progress into your later years.

First of all .. health

Before we start to carry out any cosmetic dental work, it is important that your teeth and mouth in general are in good health. If you regularly have check ups and see the dental hygienist for a scale and polish every six months, there is every chance that your oral health will be reasonably good. If you don’t do this then when we examine your mouth before starting treatment, it is quite possible that there may be issues such as cavities and gum disease that need to be treated first. There is little sense in having the appearance of your teeth improved if they are in poor health. Once we are satisfied that your mouth is healthy, we can start to improve your smile.

Discoloured teeth

One common problem as we grow older is that our teeth start to darken in colour. Some of this may be down to consumption of teeth staining food and drinks such as curries or red wine but this need not be the case. In many instances, as we become older, the dentin layer beneath the tooth enamel, which is white when we are young, starts to darken in colour. This is visible through the translucent tooth enamel, leaving them looking dull and discoloured. This can often be rectified with a fast acting teeth whitening procedure. This is also a very affordable treatment and is extremely popular for good reason.

Chips and cracked teeth

Wear and tear of our teeth over many years can lead to more permanent but often minor damage such as cracks or chips in the teeth. Even small chips should be looked at by your dentist as, if they expose the dentin layer, tooth decay is likely to follow and you may need to have a filling. Where the chips and cracks are cosmetic but spoil your smile, porcelain dental veneers are an excellent remedy for this problem. Instead of treating the actual enamel, in many cases a fine layer of it will be shaved away and replaced by a tooth shaped fine layer of porcelain. This is then trimmed and polished and attached to the prepared tooth using a special dental adhesive. Veneers should generally last around ten years if you take care of them and provide an attractive long term option for anyone suffering from this problem. They are also often used for very badly discoloured teeth as a more effective alternative to teeth whitening.

Missing teeth

Missing teeth present a problem as they will not grow back and a substitute tooth has to be found. The options for this are a bridge, dentures or dental implants. Bridges are only effective in certain situations and may require healthy teeth to be shaped in order to fit them. This often rules them out for many patients. Dentures offer a reasonable option as far as appearances go but some patients do find them a little uncomfortable and also unstable, especially when eating. It is no surprise then that dental implants are rapidly becoming the tooth replacement option of choice at our local Canterbury dentists. Replacing not only the crown of the tooth but the root section too, teeth implants provide an excellent solution, offering strength, stability and longevity.

Crooked teeth

As our face changes as we grow older, our teeth sometimes start to change position a little and this can cause them to become crooked or overlap, requiring orthodontic treatment to correct it. Modern options such as Invisalign, offer a convenient and almost invisible alternative to old style braces and is probably why more people are happy to have this treatment. If you are unhappy with your crooked teeth, please get in touch with us to arrange an initial consultation with one of our experienced team.

We hope that this blog has convinced you that you don’t have to put up with the effects of ageing on your teeth if you don’t want to. Modern cosmetic dentistry treatment options mean that you can largely restore your smile to a more youthful and attractive appearance. If you would like to see a dentist for a consultation, or have any questions about the topics raised, please get in touch with Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic by calling us on 01227 463529.