Cosmetic Dentistry for a More Youthful Appearance

    /24-7PressRelease/ - SAN FRANCISCO, CA, January 05, 2007 - The look of your teeth and gums obviously affects the overall beauty of your face, but most people are not aware of the different ways in which dental problems make you look older.

As we age, our teeth age with us. Some of these effects, such as stains and receding gum lines, are fairly obvious. Dental problems can have further reaching effects on your appearance, which you may not even realize are associated with your teeth and jaws. The muscle tension in your face, the distance from your nose to your chin, your overall profile, and even your posture are affected by your dental health—especially when teeth are ground away from wear over time.

Misaligned bite and tooth grinding
An overbite creates a recessed chin, which can cause a "turkey neck" appearance and a jowly look. An overbite also makes your teeth difficult to see when you smile and it makes your lips look very thin. An under bite creates a protruding chin and a "bulldog" look. Both accentuate the natural effects of aging, making you look older than you really are.

Even if you do not have an overbite or under bite, a misaligned bite of any kind contributes to temporomandibular joint disease (TMD). TMD (or TMJ) places strain on neck, shoulder, and back muscles, and can cause debilitating pain and headaches. TMJ can cause very poor posture, making you look and feel hunched, old, and tired. Your jaw posture affects your overall posture.

Tooth grinding not only damages your teeth, but it can affect the muscles in your face and your profile. Teeth can become visibly worn, chipped, and cracked. The distance between your chin and nose eventually decreases, and deep wrinkles can form.

Neuromuscular dentistry is an advanced form of dentistry, which corrects TMJ and bite problems relieving pain, improving the appearance, and preventing serious future dental problems.

Discoloration
As we age our teeth can become darker for many reasons. Stains caused by eating and drinking habits appear. Enamel deteriorates from years of brushing and dental erosion. As the nerve shrinks and is replaced by yellow tooth structure, teeth become darker from the inside out. Old fillings and crowns can also become strained or tarnished.

Tooth whitening is a good solution for some, and can have beautiful results. However, if discoloration is caused by deteriorating enamel or darkening on the inside of teeth porcelain veneers are a more effective and protective solution. Of course, metal fillings and crowns, older tooth-colored fillings, and crowns, which have become stained, should be replaced with porcelain.

Receding gum line
Bone loss is a natural result of aging and one way that it becomes visible is through gum shrinkage. Other things, such as gum disease and overly vigorous brushing, can cause gum lines to recede, as well. Subconsciously, we recognize a receding or uneven gum line as a sign of age, no matter what the cause. Laser gum re-contouring and gum grafts can correct the appearance of receding and uneven gum lines. An unbalanced bite is sometimes overlooked as a major cause of gum recession.

Crowded or missing teeth and gaps
Crowded and missing teeth are also recognized subconsciously as signs of aging. Crowded teeth can be improved by tooth straightening. Missing teeth and gaps can be addressed in many ways. Depending on the size and position of the gap, porcelain veneers, bonding, and tooth implants can all be good solutions for missing teeth and gaps.

A smile makeover takes into account all of these issues, and can be as effective—or more effective--than a facelift or other cosmetic surgery, in restoring a youthful appearance. For example, many times patients will get a chin implant to achieve a prominent chin, when correcting the jaw posture solves the problem non-surgically.

San Francisco cosmetic dentist Josh Bernstein can help you combat the effects of age. Visit his website to learn more about some of the advanced cosmetic and neuromuscular dentistry treatments available today and how they can help you look and feel better.

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