HOW FIXING YOUR TEETH CAN FIX YOUR FACE

We Don’t Associate Loss of Tooth Structure with the aging we see in them mirror.  We should. 

Our thoughts on teeth and aging typically begin and end at color.  A white smile is youthful, so we bleach our teeth.  But there’s a wide world of so-called anti-aging dental interventions out there.  With orthodontics and restorations, dentists can often manipulate the size, shape and arrangement of teeth to subtract years from your face.

To understand how this works, imagine someone with no teeth – without their dentures.  Without the support of teeth, their mouth collapses onto itself.  The lower portion of their face shrinks.  Now imagine dentures are popped in, the face fills out and certainly looking less old.

This is an extreme example, but this loss of support and subsequent facial “shrinkage” doesn’t occur only in the toothless, because teeth gradually change shape throughout adulthood.

“The people who really connect to this idea – that your teeth impact how old your face looks – are those who don’t have teeth” Says Parsa Zadeh, a dentist in Beverly Hills, California.

Here, Dr. Zadeh walks us through how fixing the teeth can fix the face.

Wait, what?  My teeth are changing shape?

As we age, our faces lose volume in both the soft tissue and bone – our eye sockets get larger, the bones of our forehead and jaw recede.  Our teeth lose volume, too.  And, as Dr. Zadeh explains, the cheeks and lips are supported by the teeth and jaw, so their size and shape have an impact on the overall shape of the face.

Smiles lose volume following two main patterns.  Teeth, especially in the back, get flatter and shorter because of the regular wear of chewing, which is accelerated by grinding and clenching.

Second, clenching exacerbates the problem because clenched muscles exert even more inward force on the teeth.

How do I find the right dentist?

You should be convinced that the work will be tailored to your face and aesthetic.  For example, Dr. Zadeh, considers how even the shape of a tooth’s edge conveys a message.  It’s about balance.

Consider what they’re about on their site, Dr. Zadeh Advised.  Are they talking about how the muscles work?  Are they talking about the joints and jaw?  Are they actually talking about restoring the face?  If not, this kind of work may be off their radar.

That doesn’t mean they’re not a good dentist, but this may not be the right practitioner for you.

There are many solutions available, including dental implants, which provide a long-term, safe, natural looking replacement for missing or badly damaged teeth, according to the team at Zadeh Dentistry.  The best thing to do if you have a missing or damaged tooth is to visit your dentist to talk through the options available to you.

Contact us today to set up your free consultation with Dr. Zadeh.