Can Older Patients Benefit From Cosmetic Dentistry?

Don’t write off your smile if you are middle aged and beyond!

A lot of money is spent on advertising cosmetic dental treatments to the younger generation. Brought up on the likes of Love Island and other ‘celebrity’ shows, they are accustomed to seeing people of their own age with beautiful white and even teeth. Whilst cosmetic dentistry is often aimed at this age group, it doesn’t mean that our older Bedford patients can’t benefit as well. In fact, they are likely to really benefit in a lot of cases.

There was a time when people reached 40 and were expected to live a quieter life than in their youth. While we do tend to slow down as we get older, 40 and beyond is no longer an age when we stop doing things that we enjoy. It is far from unusual to see people of this age in nightclubs and other places previously aimed more at the younger market. As we socialise more, we tend to want to look our best and this is where modern cosmetic dentistry can really help.

What treatments are available for older patients?

Most of the treatments at The Dental Centre Bedford can be performed for, and will benefit, older patients. In many cases, they will also offer practical benefits too.

Let’s take a look then at some of the treatments and explain how you can benefit from them.

Teeth whitening

As the name suggests, this treatment can provide you with a whiter, nicer smile.  This treatment is non-invasive and is purely a cosmetic treatment offering no other practical benefits (other than improving your confidence perhaps). It can whiten your teeth by several shades. Our teeth whitening treatment allows you to choose the shade of whiteness you would like and a treatment will then be prepared so that you can whiten your teeth at home. This technique uses trays that fit over your teeth and which are worn for a few hours a day for a couple of weeks or so. Results are typically excellent and affordable too!

Dental veneers

Porcelain veneers are the ‘next step’ to teeth whitening. They are used where discolouration is more severe such as might be the case in smokers or ex smokers. They can also be used where other defects like cracks or chipped teeth are an issue. This treatment may require some dental surgery to remove some of the discoloured enamel before the veneers are placed. These are very fine layers of porcelain that are fitted using a dental adhesive then trimmed and polished to give a natural appearance. Veneers usually last around ten years if looked after correctly. We will provide full aftercare information at the time.

White fillings

Whilst not strictly a cosmetic dental treatment, there is little doubt that a natural looking white filling is more appealing than the traditional, and darker coloured amalgam ones that are more commonly used. White fillings can now be used on all but the largest cavities where alternatives such as inlays or onlays might be used, or even a crown depending on the situation.  This is to ensure that sufficient strength is provided for teeth, such as the rear ones, that endure a lot of pressure when we are eating.

Dental implants

Finally, dental implants can be one of the most useful treatments for older people. This is not only a cosmetic treatment but also offers a great benefit by replacing missing teeth with a strong and secure alternative. Few who have switched from dentures to dental implants would dream of going back. Unlike other tooth replacement methods such as dentures or a bridge, a tooth implant also replaces the root of the tooth that has been lost in the shape of a precision-engineered titanium rod.

The implants are placed into the bone in the area of the missing tooth and allowed to fuse over a period of around 3 months. Once fully integrated with the bone, a crown is then attached which gives you a natural looking, strong replacement tooth.

Where multiple tooth loss has occurred, each missing tooth does not have to be replaced with an individual implant but a few can be used to secure a fixed bridge of teeth in place. This treatment is sometimes called ‘all on 4’ or ‘teeth in a day’.

To fully benefit from a smile makeover that can help make you look younger as well, we recommend arranging a consultation with one of our Bedford dental team so that we can assess your needs and discuss the most appropriate treatment plan. Payment plans are also available to help you to spread the cost of the treatment.

To book a consultation at The Dental Centre Bedford, please call our reception team on 01234 819868.