How Seniors Can Improve Their Smile
With years of use behind them, it’s no surprise that a senior’s teeth are not as pristine as they once were. Stains, cavities, and even tooth loss are not uncommon for a senior’s smile. However, just because aging takes a toll on your teeth doesn’t mean you need to accept anything less than a healthy smile. Thanks to advances in modern dentistry, seniors can maintain an attractive and well-functioning set of teeth well into their golden years.
Teeth Whitening
Years of staining can leave your enamel looking old and worn out, even if your teeth are otherwise healthy. A professional tooth whitening session will penetrate into the enamel and break up years of staining. Once your teeth are back to their natural luster, your smile will look fresh, healthy, and bring new vitality to your face.
Tooth Replacement
One of the most dramatic alterations to a smile is tooth loss, which impairs both your smile’s aesthetics and your ability to speak and eat the way you did in your younger years. Today, however, seniors have multiple options for tooth replacement, all more affordable than ever before.
- Dentures: Whether you need full dentures or partials, dentures today are designed to be functional, natural-looking, and comfortable to wear. Many seniors find renewed life with the improved dental health and function dentures provide.
- Fixed Bridges: For gaps of up to three teeth, a fixed bridge provides an effective semi-permanent solution. Your prosthetic teeth are placed between two anchoring teeth which have been fitted with dental crowns to act as supports.
- Dental Implants: The latest and most permanent tooth replacement method, implants are set directly into the jaw and fuse with the bone, providing a new tooth root and essentially creating a brand-new tooth. Not only is this restoration long-lasting, but the implant enables the chewing pressure that reduces the risk of jaw bone loss often associated with aging.
Gum Care
Your gums are an important part of your smile, and a senior’s gums often face more perils than they did earlier in life. Most assume that poor hygiene is the only factor in gum disease, but gums can also be affected by other issues, including tobacco use, ill-fitting dentures or bridges, nutritional deficits, illness, and even certain medications.
If you notice your gums are tender, swollen, prone to bleeding or have started to recede, visit the dentist as soon as possible. The longer gum disease goes unaddressed, the more invasive and damaging the consequences can become.
Veneers
A healthy tooth doesn’t always mean it’s a pretty one, especially when things like chips, gaps, or intrinsic staining are involved. Veneers can be an excellent way to address cosmetic issues with your smile. These porcelain shells are used to address imperfections in the six most visible teeth in each arch, helping your smile to appear youthful and more flattering.
Best of all, they can be applied to a single tooth or several according to your need. Have a single damaged tooth that’s become discolored? Dissatisfied with a tooth gap that developed due to shifting teeth? A porcelain veneer might be the best solution.
Dr. Susan Bracker works with patients of all ages in Rochester and is happy to help seniors achieve a smile they’ll love. For more information, contact our dental office today.