5 Cosmetic Dentistry Options for Improving the Life of Seniors

Senior patients are often the most common guests in a dentist’s office due to tooth issues that come with old age or neglect. Either way, deteriorating oral health can affect seniors’ mental and social health, making them isolate themselves socially. If you or a family member has gone through the pain of social segregation associated with poor oral health, you understand the need to restore oral health through cosmetic dentistry.

When professionally handled by a qualified dentist, cosmetic dentistry can be the turnaround seniors need for a healthy mouth and an attractive smile. Here are five cosmetic dentistry options every senior should know about for an improved life:

Teeth Whitening

Tooth discoloration is a common problem among the elderly and can significantly impact their self-esteem and social and mental health. However, with professional teeth whitening procedures, seniors can regain their bright smiles and live a confident life among their peers and other people in the community. As someone ages, the enamel may become stained from drinking tea, cola, coffee, juice, red wine, excessive fluoride in water, or eating certain foods.

While some patients prefer DIY teeth whitening solutions like whitening strips, toothpaste, and rinses, going to a professional dentist is always the best approach. A professional dentist has the right equipment and understands the best techniques to achieve the most satisfying results. Seniors struggling with dental anxiety also have nothing to worry about, as teeth whitening is a completely painless procedure, especially when handled by a professional.

The procedure is often short and can be completed in a single visit lasting a few hours. The process involves using powerful whitening agents that penetrate the enamel to break down the molecules that cause discoloration. A perfect dental care routine will leave the teeth feeling sensitive and tingly but will keep the teeth white for a long time.

Dental Crowns

Older adults dealing with missing, chipped, or cracked teeth are the major beneficiaries of dental crowns. A dental crown is a cap placed over a damaged or weak tooth to restore its shape, appearance, size, and strength. The crowns are often made from various materials, including metal, porcelain, and resin, lasting between 5 and 15 years with proper care.

While traditional dental crown procedures involve first and second visits to accomplish, modern-day same-day dentistry offers quicker dental crown procedures to save time. Instead of making return visits, you can have your crown designed and fabricated within the same day through CAD/CAM technology.

Dental crowns can satisfactorily transform your smile, giving you permanent confidence whenever you’re out meeting friends or family. However, you must take care by avoiding foods that can destroy the dental crown, such as:

• Extremely hard nuts
• Super sticky foods, such as caramels and taffy
• Popcorns that have kernels
• Ice cubes

Onlays and Inlays

If you or your senior relative has suffered extensive tooth decay or tooth damage through injury, an onlay or inlay procedure is your best shot for restoration. These dental restorations are custom-made to perfectly fit the shape and size of your affected tooth, offering a natural yet long-lasting solution.

Onlays restorative procedures are used when the tooth damage extends to more than one cusps and covers a large part of the chewing surface. Due to their restorative role, they’re sometimes referred to as partial crowns. They can also be customized to match your tooth’s natural color and shape, ensuring the final results are aesthetically appealing.

Conversely, inlays are used when the tooth damage is limited to the chewing surface within the cusps. They are often made of long-lasting materials such as gold, porcelain, or composite resin. Perfectly fitted inlays should attach tightly to the prepared area of your tooth for a strong, seamless restoration.

Dental Contouring

Also known as tooth reshaping, dental contouring is a cosmetic dentistry procedure that focuses on making precise alterations to the surface, length, and shape of one or several teeth. Minor cosmetic issues like chips or slightly irregular teeth shapes affecting seniors may cause their teeth to experience these alterations. 

However, with dental contouring, your teeth can be restored to align with the rest of the teeth. The process often involves removing a small part of the enamel to achieve the perfect surface, length, or shape to improve the overall appearance of the teeth.

Since dental contouring is conservative, you’ll barely feel any pain and often don’t need anesthesia. You can expect immediate, same-day results that will brighten your smile for a long time. However, you should only opt for dental contouring if you aim to modify your enamel and tooth shape.  Major dental concerns and more significant structural issues must be thoroughly assessed, and the right treatment procedures must be followed to ensure full recovery and restoration. 

Dental Bridges

Missing teeth are a common problem for the elderly, and the best solution to curb this menace is to have dental bridges. As the name suggests, dental bridges are a more effective way of bridging the gaps created by missing teeth to achieve a full set of teeth. The success of a dental bridge procedure depends on the health of the remaining teeth on either side of the missing tooth. The existing teeth will act as a natural support to the bridge that will be installed to fill the missing tooth’s gap.

The process can sometimes involve multiple visits to the dentist, with the initial visit being a preparation step where a part of the enamel is removed to create space. A custom bridge is then created by taking the impression of your teeth and sending them to a laboratory for fabrication. Once the bridge is fabricated, the dentist will ensure it perfectly fits the space and align it with the existing teeth before permanently cementing it.

Your dentist should carefully adjust the bridge for a natural appearance and a comfortable bite. Ensure you mention any discomfort early before leaving their office for immediate fixing. Once everything is in place, maintain regular oral hygiene practices like flossing, brushing, and routine dental checkups for the longevity of your dental bridge.

Knowing the different cosmetic dentistry options is important for ensuring perfect dental health, even in old age. Many seniors can still enjoy better social interactions by implementing this list’s most relevant cosmetic dentistry procedures. You can always implement multiple options based on the types of oral health challenges you’re facing.

Photo by Gustavo Fring