Aging is a fact of life. With growing old comes numerous unpleasant changes in our appearance. Just like wrinkles and sagging skin affect the face, the aging process can also takes its toil on our teeth. If your smile looks dull, dark or yellow, it may be that your age is the contributing factor. Of course, dark staining foods and drinks as well as tobacco use can darken your smile, but getting older also influences your teeth color.
How does age affect how white your teeth are? As we get older, the outer enamel of our teeth naturally gets thinner. Consequently, the next layer (called dentin) is more likely to show through. Dentin is more yellow in hue compared to the white enamel layer, which means you’ll end up with a darker and duller smile the older you get. This explains the fact that children are more likely to show off a dazzling white smile, as their enamel layer is thick and strong enough to hide the yellow dentin.
Not only does your enamel get thinner as you age, but it also gets more porous. This makes it easy for tiny, microscopic food particles and staining agents to attach to the tooth surface. This is a double threat for the typical aging adult trying to achieve a white smile.
Professional Teeth Whitening
Don’t be disheartened by this inevitable loss of brilliance to your smile as you get older. There are easy, affordable and quick ways you can regain a dazzling white smile, regardless of your age. Professional teeth whitening is the most effective and safest form of teeth whitening. In just a one-hour visit to your dentist, you can walk away with teeth that are multiple shades lighter. Teeth whitening is painless and can even be done in the comfort of your home using take-home custom whitening trays.
If you just can’t achieve the whiteness you’re looking for, you may want to consider porcelain veneers. While the investment and procedure is a bit more, this is a way to permanently reverse your dull or stained smile. You can even correct other minor flaws like gapped teeth or chipped teeth in the process.
To learn more about how you can improve the appearance of your aging smile, contact Marietta’s leading cosmetic dentist today at Gilreath Family Dentistry. A white smile is a youthful smile.
Posted on behalf of Dr. Paul Gilreath IV,