Looking After Our Teeth In Middle Age And Beyond
Time can take its toll on our teeth. Here’s some advice on how we can help overcome it…..
When does middle age begin? It’s a very good question and the answer seems to change every few years. A quick search of the internet says that it currently starts at around 35 years of age and ends not long before your 60th birthday. Whatever the exact dates, the fact is that the years before will have brought challenges for your teeth and some of them may be showing the effects of time.
As we tend to be socially active until later on in life these days, it isn’t surprising that many middle aged people want to have not only healthy teeth but ones that look great too. A warm and attractive smile is a great way to introduce yourself to a new social group and can make winning new friends that little bit easier.
At The Dental Centre Bedford, we are able to help you have nicer looking teeth in your middle age and beyond using a variety of the latest dentistry techniques. We look at some of these below, but first, some advice on general oral care.
The basics are important
It doesn’t matter whether we are 8 or 48, the reality is that a good teeth cleaning regimen is essential. This will not only help you keep your teeth nice looking but will help to avoid problems such as cavities and tooth loss. Make sure that you brush your teeth well using a fluoride toothpaste both morning and night. Use dental floss too as this helps to remove bacteria and food particles that can get trapped between teeth and in the gum pockets. This will help to prevent gum disease.
We also recommend that you see a dental hygienist. In addition to helping you improve how you look after your teeth, they will provide a professional clean that removes any hardened bacteria and mineral deposits that both detract from the appearance of your teeth and which can also contribute to gum disease.
Cosmetic improvements
Even if our teeth survive into middle age intact, perhaps with the odd small filling, the chances are that they won’t look as nice as they did in your teens and early twenties. There are many possible reasons for this but general wear and tear is certainly likely to have occurred. Few of us will escape without a few minor chips or cracks in our teeth which don’t necessarily threaten their health but can look unsightly.
The colour of our teeth is also likely to have changed and may appear duller than they did when we were younger. Some of this might be surface staining which can, to some degree, be removed when you have a scale and polish during your appointment with our Bedford dental hygienist. This may not remove all staining though, especially if, for example, you have been a heavy smoker in the past. Teeth also become duller with age due to the darkening of the dentin layer below the enamel on our teeth. The good news is that we have cosmetic treatments that can help to reverse this problem. Even for those who have not been so fortunate with their oral health, we can also replace any teeth that you have missing.
Briefly, below, we take a look at some of these helpful cosmetic procedures.
Teeth whitening – Great for restoring mildy stained teeth or those that have become dull over time. This is a non invasive, fast and affordable treatment.
Dental veneers – Used for very heavily stained teeth and also excellent for restoring teeth that have been chipped or cracked.
Crowns – Useful for any teeth that have been broken or heavily chipped past the point where a veneer or bonding would be effective.
White fillings – An excellent option for filling cavities. Unlike amalgam, they can be made to match the natural shade of your teeth, making them less visible.
Dental implants – A tooth replacement technique that replaces both crown and root of the tooth for excellent strength and stability.
Using one, or a combination of these cosmetic dental procedures, we are confident that we can restore your smile to a standard that you will be very happy with. We can’t guarantee that your new smile will win you new friends or find a new partner, but a number of our patients have told us how much more confident they have felt following their treatment, and that can only be a good thing!
Whether your teeth are noticeably chipped or cracked or if you aren’t happy about the way that they look in general, why not contact The Dental Centre Bedford and book an initial consultation to discuss a smile makeover? Let us help you to have a fantastic looking smile that makes you look and feel younger.
Please call our Bedford dental clinic today on 01234 819868 and our team will make the necessary arrangements with you.