Could dentistry be as effective as cosmetic procedures?

How treating your teeth can significantly reduce your perceived age.

Walk into any store selling beauty products and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the gauntlet of bold claims. From reducing lines and wrinkles, to smoothing skin, plumping pouts and killing crow’s feet, there’s no denying the anti-ageing market is big business. Last year America was as the country with the most cosmetic procedures per capita, with cosmetic injectables and fillers administered to the faces of US women (and men) in the tens of thousands. And yet, you may not have considered that away from the injectable clinics and bright lights of your local chemist, your humble dentist has the power and expertise to transform your smile, while turning back the clock on your appearance.

Teeth and ageing

There’s plenty to celebrate about getting older, including confidence, experience and wisdom. But most people don’t bring out the sparklers and party hats for lines, wrinkles and teeth that may have seen better days. Discoloured, or worn teeth and metal fillings are all things that can point to our real age. And yet fixes such as teeth whitening and replacing old worn down fillings can work wonders. One study even found that having white teeth can help you look up to five years younger. But now, another procedure is not only improving the appearance of your teeth, but resulting in a more youthful jawline.

A facelift, dental-style.

First, the facts: as we age, we lose elastin and collagen, causing wrinkles, sagging and hollowing in the face. But this can be exacerbated by the state of our pearly whites. A lifetime of chewing, clenching, bad nutritional decisions resulting in acid erosion and a variety of other issues can severely wear down our teeth. You may not realise that your teeth support the lower third of your face, so eroding some of this structure means the support begins to collapse. The more of your tooth surface you lose, the older you may begin to look. The good news is, there’s a solution that not only boosts your appearance, but the health of your precious teeth and jaws in the process. By replacing lost tooth structure with suitable restorations, your teeth can once again give your face the appearance of being lifted, and your jawline restored. Restorations such as composite fillings, Crowns, Bridges, Ceramic restorations and Veneers may all be used to help rebuild lost tooth structure, restoring them to their original size. In doing so, your dentist will likely re-establish where your bite used to be, which helps relax your jaw muscles, and prevent excessive overclosure leading to greater creasing of the skin.

Healthy teeth, happy face

Of course, no matter your age, the most important thing for your teeth and gums is for them to be healthy, which is why checking in with your dentist twice a year is essential.  Just remember to show off your teeth as often as possible – by cracking a big toothy smile. A study published in Psychology and Aging found that when subjects looked at photos of the same people making multiple expressions and guessed their age, the smiling faces were perceived as younger than those who looked angry or sad.