Our Steele Creek Dentist Explains How Dental Care Can Improve Your Appearance

When dentists discuss the benefits of cosmetic dentistry, the conversation is usually focused on the teeth themselves: how to make them whiter, straighter, and cleaner-looking. But one rarely-discussed benefit of cosmetic dentistry is that it can also improve your overall facial appearance. Tooth straightening aligners, dental implants, and other types of restorations can can transform a patient’s facial structure and subtract years from their face. Our Steele Creek dentist explains more below.

How our Bone Structure Changes as We Age

As we start to age, our faces start to lose volume, both in the soft tissue (fat and skin) and the underlying bone. The bones of our forehead and jaw recede, the cheeks become more sunken, and the eye sockets become larger and deeper. Since all of this structure supports the teeth and jaw, the loss of it has an impact on the overall shape of the face. (The technical, unfortunate name for this process is “facial collapse.”)

How Our Teeth Lose Volume

Bones aren’t the only things that change which age; just like river rocks, teeth are worn down with use as we get older. The back molars, especially, which become flatter and shorter due to repeated chewing and tooth grinding. Shorter molars mean that the bite is collapsed, the lower jaw is pressed into the upper jaw, and the overall face is shortened, too. Teeth also usually get pushed inwards over time, again from wear. As a result, the smile becomes narrower, and the lips curl inwards.

How Can Dentistry Help?

Cosmetic dentistry, reconstructive dentistry, and even orthodontics can all help to improve the facial appearance. Invisalign clear aligners are one way to move the teeth outwards broadening the teeth and therefore, the face. Shaping the jaw from a narrow V-shaped arch to a wide U-shaped arch can also help alter facial appearance.

Restoring broken or missing teeth with dental implants, bridges, or crowns can all help restore the jaw shape and facial volume. Replacing missing teeth doesn’t just make your smile look better; it also adds support and structure to your overlying facial features!

Restore Your Smile with Our Steele Creek Dentist!

Of course, at our Steele Creek dentist office, we are much more concerned with helping your teeth stay healthy, strong, and pain-free–but getting a more youthful, healthy appearance is a nice added bonus! If you would like to learn more about our Steele Creek restorative dentist services, please click here to request an appointment with our office.