Smoothing Wrinkles with a New Smile
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, APRIL 13, 2010
Wrinkles and other signs of aging may benefit from an unexpected treatment - refreshing a smile. Cosmetic dentists are promoting the potential of veneers and other procedures to brighten up the face and restore the shape of the chin and cheeks, according to an article this morning in the Wall Street Journal. This is about more than just the teeth, with dentists observing the impact of reshaping a smile and marketing cosmetic procedures to patients as a treatment for the whole face. One doctor quoted by the Journal says this represents a "paradigm shift" in cosmetic dentistry, with dentists getting away from a one-size-fits-all mentality about improving a smile to an individualized approach to suit a patient's facial structure.
Changing the shape of the teeth can affect the skin around the mouth, which means it could appeal to patients considering Botox or a face lift. Unlike a more invasive face lift, a cosmetic dental procedure would not require general anesthesia, though it would take several visits to complete. As for the types of treatments available, the Journal gives an example of "slightly thickening side teeth [to] create a wider arc over the lip" and potentially reduce wrinkles. Additionally, teeth can naturally wear or be ground down with age, so adding length to teeth could make a patient look younger. This was confirmed with in one study, published in the British Dental Journal in 2002, which asked a five-person panel to review before and after photos of patients who underwent treatment to open the bite and lengthen the face. The panel concluded that 81.2% of patients looked younger.
