Brighter smiles for baby boomers
9:40 p.m. Sunday, September 23, 2007
The anti-aging movement has taken the baby boom generation by storm as more and more people search for ways to look younger than their age. And for many folks, the road to a more youthful appearance goes through the dentist’s office.
“The ability to have some discretionary income to improve oneself kind of coincides with the boomer generation who has now raised their children,” says D.D. James Otten, “They’re either off to college or on their own, and now it’s time to do something for themselves.”
And that “something” can mean anything from major dental reconstruction down to simple procedures like tooth whitening.
“The whitening aspect is very popular. There are a number of products on the market today,” says Otten, “some that are self-applied, some in the form of toothpaste, some in the form of gels, some in the form of strips.”
Otten says toothpastes don’t really change the color of one’s teeth, but only remove stains. Strip applied bleaches or whitening agents can affect teeth very well depending on the concentration, but have the limitation of whitening the front teeth only – not the back.
Some patients choose veneers to create whiter and more uniform smiles.
“Veneers are a thin piece of porcelain, and if you have an analogy like a false fingernail that would be an appropriate, crude analogy,” says Otten.
However, sometimes it’s as simple as replacing old fillings to achieve that youthful look.
“When we’re considering aesthetics, considering aesthetic dentistry, we always try to do the minimum ¬- the least amount to get the most amount of good,” says Otten, “and sometimes that’s just replacing discolored fillings, using some material to enhance the color, and maybe a minor reshaping.”
For more information on the latest anti-aging techniques available today, you can visit Boomergirl.com.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)