As you progress in age, your smile will ultimately reflect the changes happening in the rest of your body. There are a number of cosmetic dental treatments you can invest in to correct the problems associated with an aging smile. Each one of these services has its own advantages and disadvantages associated with it.
Porcelain veneers
As teeth deteriorate or become discolored with age, porcelain veneers can give your smile a natural-looking enhancement. Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are the approximate thickness of false fingernails. The dentist will bond them to the either the front of a tooth or the top of a tooth. Because veneers are so thin, light is able to pass through them, allowing them to take on the natural color of the underlying tooth enamel.
Advantages
Veneers are very strong, will last for many years, and, regardless of your age, and will drastically improve your smile with a noticeable cosmetic improvement. In order to bond them to teeth, the dentist only has to remove a very small amount of tooth material. If a veneer should become damaged, it can be repaired within the mouth using a number of bonding methods.
Disadvantages
To bond a veneer to teeth, there is a certain, although small amount, of tooth reduction necessary. The only negative about this is the procedure is non-reversible. Once veneers are placed on the teeth, you will have to depend on veneers for the remainder of your life.
Only a trained, experienced cosmetic dentist should be allowed to place your veneers. However, the process is simple enough if done by the right hands, and it only takes two office visits to complete.
Cosmetic Dental Bonding
Another way to counteract the effects of age on your smile is to invest in cosmetic dental bonding. This a three-step procedure consists of first etching the front teeth with a mild acid, then applying a special bonding material to the etched surface. This material is then hardened with a high-intensity light.
Advantages
Dental Bonding creates a strong, natural looking restoration, and it can be done in only one office visit.
Disadvantages
The acid does remove some of your tooth enamel, so you must depend on bonding for rest of your life.
All Porcelain Crowns
As people age, teeth may crack or decay to the point that their smile becomes noticeably disfigured. Porcelain crowns can make these teeth appear brand new. We recommend using all porcelain crowns because they look identical to natural tooth enamel and also mimic the shape of natural teeth. Crowns provide structural support and protection and protection for teeth and can also help close gaps between teeth. However, if teeth are intact, a better way to close gaps is to have your dentist align them with Invisalign braces.
Advantages
All porcelain crowns, if made by a cosmetic dental expert, will look very much like natural teeth and provide a superb tooth reconstruction that will last you for many years, and quite possibly, for the rest of your life. They also require the least amount of tooth reduction, which is inconsequential, anyway, when we consider that crowns are only used to restore teeth that are already cracked, decayed, or damaged.
Disadvantages
The only disadvantage to all porcelain crowns is they may wear on opposing natural teeth if you bite down too hard.
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