Elderly patients frequently turn to dental veneers to
improve their smile after wear and age have led to dental health issues. It is important to have regular health
checkups as you age. That includes
checkups for your oral health. Elderly
patients are at greater risk for health concerns, and oral health is no
exception.
Seniors are more likely, than their younger peers, to suffer
from:
·
Tooth
loss. The loss of a tooth can be
devastating. It can alter your
appearance, speech, and ability to eat comfortably.
·
Gum
disease. Plaque, diabetes, poor
diet, smoking, and disease can cause this issue. Elderly patients that wear dentures or ill
fitting bridges are also at greater risk for gum disease.
·
Denture
Induced Stomatitis. This is inflammation of the tissue underneath of the
dentures.
·
Broken
teeth. Dehydration, lack of calcium,
and deteriorating health can lead to teeth chipping and breaking.
There are ways to help patients suffering from oral health
issues. Modern technology has made it
easier to correct tooth loss with implant dentistry, while chipped or broken
teeth will look brand new with dental veneers. Simultaneously gum disease can
be treated with techniques like laser dentistry.
Dental Veneers
Improve Your Smile
Chipped, cracked, uneven, and severely stained teeth may
make it embarrassing to smile. Healthy
teeth are signs of youthfulness and vibrancy; things people of all ages want to
hold on to. Seniors can have the bright
white smile of their twenties regardless of how old they are when veneers are
placed over their existing teeth.
Veneers can transform yellow, brown, chipped, cracked, uneven teeth into
a smile celebrity’s dream of. Modern dentistry has made it possible to regain a
youthful appearance with minimal effort.
How are Veneers
Installed?
Dental veneers are typically made of porcelain or a resin
composite material. Porcelain is
preferred by patients that want to have the most natural looking smile. They will reflect the light like a normal
tooth, but they also require more preparation work on the existing teeth. Resin veneers require less prep work ahead of
time.
Step One: Visit
the dentist to discuss what your goals are. They will recommend a treatment
plan and determine how many veneers need to be installed. They will also take X- Rays and a dental
impression.
Step Two: The
dentist will prepare your tooth by removing a portion of your front enamel. You
may have anesthesia during this process to make you more comfortable. The dentist will take an impression of the
tooth or teeth and send it to the lab for custom veneers to be created. This can be a two week process.
Step Three: Your
tooth will be cleaned and etched so that when they apply the cement bonding
agent it will stick better to your tooth.
The dentist will make sure the veneer is the perfect shape and color
before installing it. Once everything
looks god they will apply cement to the tooth and place the veneer on top.
The dentist will examine your bite to make sure that the
dental veneers are fitting and working perfectly prior to sending you
home. Once the process is complete you
will have a beautiful and youthful smile you can be proud of.