Cosmetic Dentistry For The More Mature Patient In Ipswich

13 / 08 / 2018

Cosmetic Dentistry For The More Mature Patient In Ipswich

Having Great-Looking Teeth Shouldn’t Be Restricted To The ‘Selfie Generation’

The common perception of cosmetic dentistry is that it is mainly for the younger generation, and adverts for products such as whitening toothpaste probably only reinforce this view.

The truth is that all ages can benefit from these treatments, with older people especially noticing the differences it can make in their lives.

At the Lighthouse Dental Practice, we believe that all of our Ipswich patients should have access to both healthy and attractive teeth, and offer a wide range of procedures to help them achieve that aim.

Teeth whitening

Teeth Whitening is one of the most popular and accessible cosmetic dental treatments for all ages. Older people can really benefit from this treatment. As many of you may have noticed as you have become older, your teeth lose the sparkle that they once had when you were younger. Whilst some of this may be down to surface staining of the enamel, caused by eating or drinking habits, for most older patients, it is caused by the unavoidable darkening of the inner part of our teeth.

The dentin layer, which lies below the enamel, is a light colour when we are young. The older we get though, the darker it becomes, and this change is visible through the translucent enamel. The only way to whiten this effectively is with our teeth whitening procedure which enables our older patients to have nicer-looking white teeth once more.

Dental implants

Whilst dental implants can improve a smile by replacing missing teeth, they are also of significant benefit for older patients who may have lost teeth which affects the functionality of the mouth. Whilst dentures can provide a reasonable cosmetic option, they often lack stability and can cause problems when eating certain foods. Dental implants not only replace the missing tooth but the root as well.

This provides the strength and stability equivalent to a natural tooth (and often more so) and will enable you to eat any food that you want. Implants can be used to replace individual missing teeth, or even to secure a full arch of replacement teeth in place in the mouth. They can also be used to stabilise your dentures should you be reluctant to switch entirely to implants.

Veneers

It is worth mentioning that some older patients probably belong to a generation for whom smoking was very common. We have covered the dangers of smoking in previous blogs, but, even if you have stopped, the consequences may still be evident. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the heavy staining of teeth, often leaving them yellow, or brown, in colour. It is unlikely that a tooth whitening procedure would offer sufficient improvement where severe staining has been incurred, and we may suggest the use of porcelain veneers to replace the affected enamel of your teeth.

If you have noticed that your teeth are not as nice looking as they used to be, and would like to see how we can help to restore their appearance, please call the Lighthouse Dental Practice in Ipswich on 01473 257379.

We are here to help you.
If you would like to speak to a member of our friendly team about any of the issues in this article please visit our contact page or call us on 01473 257379.