Our Saint Louis dentists truly believe that all of our patients deserve to have smiles that they love and are proud to show off. Unfortunately, teeth tend to lose some of their luster with age. If you are noticing aesthetic changes to your smile, our dental team is here to help. Keep reading to learn more.
Here are 3 things that can make your smile look older:
- Discoloration: your smile may start to look dark, stained, or dull due to environmental stains or changes in your dental enamel. Environmental stains are caused by richly colored foods, beverages, and tobacco products. You may notice specific spots of yellow or brown discoloration on your teeth, or your smile as a whole may start to look less luminous.
- Thinning Enamel: if your enamel has worn down due to regular consumption of acids/sugars, or due to dental grinding, you will likely notice that your teeth look yellower. This occurs because the tooth layer directly under the enamel, the dentin, is darker and yellower than dental enamel. When your tooth is strong and healthy, the dentin is hidden, but as your tooth surface wears away, more of the dentin will show through to the smile’s surface.
- Ground Down Teeth: many people find that their teeth actually change in shape and size over time. This is especially common among patients who suffer from bruxism, or chronic dental grinding. The tooth-on-tooth contact caused by bruxism grinds down teeth over time.
Treatment solutions:
Our Saint Louis dentists offer a number of treatments to help refresh and brighten your smile. Depending on the overall health of your teeth, and the type of aesthetic issues you want to treat, we may recommend professional dental whitening, composite dental bonding, or porcelain veneers. The easiest way to get started is to schedule a personal consultation with our team—give us a call!