Serving patients from Los Gatos, San Jose, Saratoga and the surrounding areas

Do you worry about your looks changing as you age? This is a common concern. Most people might be worried about a new wrinkle, their skin complexion, graying hair or even losing their hair. However, your teeth can be one of the first areas of the body where age really begins to show.

The quality of your smile is a big part of the impression you give to others. People will see your teeth and smile, and make inferences about your diet, health, and age. If your teeth are yellow or damaged, it can make you look much older. If you live with missing teeth, it will age your looks even more by causing a “sunken-in” appearance, adding more wrinkles to your face.

Maintaining a comprehensive regimen of oral hygiene—brushing, flossing and twice-yearly visits to the dentist—helps keep your teeth looking good, and give you an overall younger appearance. Still, the enamel of your teeth will discolor over time. This occurs, in part, as a consequence of the natural aging process. Consuming coffee, red wine, or other acidic foods and drinks hasten the discoloration of your teeth, which can age your face.

A professional cleaning at the dentist’s office can remove these staining pigments altogether. A dentist also can provide professional whitening treatments, which can be administered either in the office or at home. While you can find a wide variety of whitening kits available for purchase over the counter, a professional whitening treatment is of a higher quality and will not cause increased sensitivity in teeth, as many store-bought whitening procedures can.

Your teeth also can succumb to natural wear and tear from decades of chewing. This attrition takes place more quickly for patients who clench or grind their teeth, a behavior known as bruxism. A dentist can prescribe a bite guard, which is custom-made for a perfect fit in your mouth and can be worn to protect your teeth against the effects of bruxism—which typically occurs while a person sleeps.

Veneers also can keep your smile looking younger. They can restore the ideal shape, structure, and look of teeth that are damaged, short or otherwise misshapen. These ultra thin layers of porcelain look and feel completely natural. Plus, veneers can be chosen in a lighter color than your natural teeth, giving you a beautiful, Hollywood smile. Since the high-quality dental porcelain of veneers mimics the same light reflecting qualities of your tooth enamel, the results will look completely natural. In as little as two visits, you can have a beautiful smile and look younger.

When choosing a dentist to perform cosmetic dental treatments, it is important to choose a dental practice that has experience in cosmetic dentistry, a specialization of the field that requires additional training and uses state-of-the-art technology. The office of Dr. Paul Lippi, DDS, can serve any of your general or cosmetic dental needs. Contact our office at (408) 354-5535 to schedule a consultation and learn more about the services we offer.

Dr. Paul Lippi, DDS, is here to serve patients living and working in Los Gatos, California, and the surrounding areas.