Anti-Aging Dentistry Can Make You Look Younger

You may never have considered this before; however, the key to a great smile is harmony and balance both in your life and in your facial layout. If you’re over a certain age, anti-aging dentistry and Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain can help you achieve a great smile and look years younger.

Anti-Aging Dentistry for a Younger Appearance

Before you decide that your smile ages you, consider what makes people look older in general. According to a 2011 post from the New York Times, the factors that contribute to aging include “time, heredity, sunlight, illness, smoking, good fortune and bad.”

The fact is that most of us find faces proportioned into thirds to be the most attractive. The three sections include the top of the forehead to the eyebrow, the eyebrow to the base of the nose, and the base of the nose to the chin. However, even if you have a well-proportioned face, other factors – wrinkles around the mouth, hollow checks, a dropping jaw, and sagging chin – can make you look (and feel) older. That’s where anti-aging dentistry can help.

With anti-aging dentistry, West Hartford cosmetic dentist Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil focuses primarily on the lower one-third of your face. This includes your jawline and teeth.

Dental Techniques Used in Anti-Aging Dentistry

As we age, our teeth may move, especially where there are teeth missing. Additionally, gums may recede, teeth generally turn yellow, and the supporting bone structure of the jaw can shift.  Dental care for Seniors requires the usual care – daily brushing and flossing along with regular visits to the dentist. However, there are steps you can take to help bring your mouth back to a more youthful appearance. Here are just a few of the dental procedures that can take years away from your looks.

Receding gums. Don’t ignore gum recession. Whether it developed due to disease, heredity, smoking, injury or another cause, West Hartford cosmetic dentist Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil can repair your gum and prevent further damage.

Tooth color. Adjust your tooth color two ways. You can replace old silver amalgam fillings with tooth-colored composite or ceramic material. Or, one of the most popular cosmetic procedures today--tooth whitening.   However, it’s important to be sure not to overdo it. Too much tooth whitening can cause too sensitivity and an unnatural whiteness.

Dental implants. This is one of the best anti-aging dentistry treatments available. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 1 out of 20 middle-aged adults are missing all their teeth. When you lose teeth, you lose support for your face resulting in sagging, wrinkles, and an overall aged appearance. Dental implants support your facial structure and help you look younger.

Veneers.  Many people have a collapsing dentition as they age, or gum recession.  Veneers, which overlay existing teeth, can extend out the upper lip, giving that area the fullness that existed in youth, and/or the correct proportionality between tooth and gum.

Regardless of your age or dental need, anti-aging dentistry can help you look and feel younger. West Hartford cosmetic dentist, Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil can review your specific situation and determine the best course of dental treatment for you.

How the Rich Do it--Reinvent Yourself With A Smile Makeover

A smile makeover can boost your confidence for an upcoming job interview, promotion or new relationships. The process may include teeth whitening, invisible braces, veneers or dental implants.

Understanding the process requires only a simple consultation. Small changes can make a big difference.

Public figures from Hollywood to New York to Miami to West Hartford  would advise you to:

• Choose a dental professional with excellent education, a discerning eye and impeccable track record in the cosmetic dentistry field.
• Consult with the professional, chart a course, and trust the course enough to see it through to completion.
• Do a little research.  Websites are great for cosmetic dentistry track records, education info, awards and contact specifics. Visit Dr. Elzbieta Basil’s background by clicking here.

Beware of Dental Upselling

Every cosmetic dental smile makeover should have a unique treatment plan to achieve optimal results. There is no magic pill.   As part of this unique plan, the dentist should perform the dentistry that will achieve the best results, not the one that will make the dentist the most money.  Using a screwdriver to hammer a nail is a poor choice, and the same is true with the wrong procedure in dentistry.  For instance, many dentists might try to upsell dental crowns or veneers when a better result may be achieved simply by bonding.  Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, has very often steered a patient away from more expensive full-mouth veneers in favor of much less costly bonding,  or a mixture of veneers and bonding…and the results were phenomenal. 

Better Smile, Better You

Is this the year to reinvent yourself? Consider improving your physical fitness, taking up a new hobby, pursuing continuing education or a new career to go along with your new smile.

A smile makeover is defined differently for every person.   Meet Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, serving the Greater Hartford area with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain since 1998. All it takes is one consultation under the eye of this artistic dental professional before you are on your way to your remarkable smile.

Dr. Basil’s capable staff schedules patients for consultations and cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign braces, and dental implants procedures. We offer services from bonding to porcelain veneers to dental crowns, including smile design, and Zoom whitening.

Call 860-561-21211 to schedule. We are located at 10 North Main Street in West Hartford Center, and 39 South High Street in Downtown New Britain…and on the web at DoctorBasil.com.

3 Warning Signs Of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Interestingly, there are few oral health abnormalities as painful as wisdom teeth problems. Impacted wisdom teeth can drive patients to the brink of desperation with regard to pain relief, surgery considerations and even time off work in severe cases. Yet not everyone struggles with wisdom teeth pain; it is common for many experts to recommend to those who do that they consider wisdom teeth removal early, even if they have not reported many problems. Showing no symptoms is not uncommon, but only a dental expert such as West Hartford dentist Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil can determine whether or not to proceed with an extraction.

When They’re Impacted, There’s a Problem

It must be understood that once problems with wisdom teeth occur, there’s a good chance they have become impacted…and if a tooth is impacted, you will know. There are an array of signs and symptoms that will alert you something is not right, and that’s when it’s time to take action. Three primary warning signs of impacted wisdom teeth are:

1.    Pain

2.    Swelling Around the Jaw

3.    Swollen, Tender, Red or Bleeding Gums

Secondary, additional symptoms may include:

• Headaches of the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ), the connection between the jaw and skull
• Unpleasant breath (from bacteria that can develop)
• Bad taste in the mouth (same)

 Complications of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Most patients experiencing eruption of wisdom teeth endure crowding in the mouth, leading to abnormal development, with these third molars becoming impacted thus causing infection or interrupting the normal growth of the adjacent teeth. Furthermore, there are varying degrees of impacted wisdom teeth, with some partially impacted with part of the crown showing, while others never penetrate the gum and are fully impacted. There remains a high risk of complications, though, whether some or all of the wisdom teeth are partially or completely impacted. Complications can begin as bleeding gums or mild pain but if left untreated, these symptoms can develop into such hazards as:

• Damage to Adjacent Teeth: Wisdom teeth can push on the second molars, yielding infection or the requirement of orthodontia.
• Gum Disease and Tooth Decay: Wisdom teeth are prone to infection and decay due to this area of the mouth being rendered difficult to clean; this causes food and bacterial to become trapped between the teeth and gums.
• Development of Cysts: Wisdom teeth grow in a sac located within the jaw and when filled with fluid can develop an uncomfortable cyst that can damage nerves.

It is imperative to schedule an appointment with Dr. Elzbieta Basil in her West Hartford dental office or her New Britain dental office as soon as you begin experiencing any of the warning signs outlined above – pain, bleeding gums, inflammation or any other symptoms. Failing to face wisdom teeth problems head-on can lead to serious complications.

A Completely Apolitical Smile-Assessment of the Candidates

Anyone in the public eye, especially now with the primaries and upcoming presidential elections, must have a winning smile to even attract voters.   So here is a completely apolitical smile assessment of the candidates by West Hartford cosmetic dentist and New Britain cosmetic dentist Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton has a fairly natural smile for her age, but with a few remarkable items.  She has a poorly fitting crown on her upper incisor (in the picture it’s at the top, on her right, your left of center).  The incisor further to the outside is also likely a crown, or in combination with the first tooth, a bridge. The other central incisor is a bit overly large and turned.  It can easily be reshaped.  Her teeth are a bit too yellow, and she has some evidence of generalized gum recession, around her natural teeth, which suggest (1) she may be under a lot of stress, and (2) she might overbrush her teeth. 

For Hillary, an easy makeover would include the replacement of the poorly fitting crown, reshaping the other central incisor, whitening, and possibly veneers.  After examination, I might also want to put her on a program to address her gum issues, which would probably include an night-guard and a soft bristle toothbrush.

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders has what appears to be a poorly-fitting bridge on his upper left (your right) of center.  It includes the two incisors and canine tooth.  This bridge was likely made some time ago and was probably color-matched to his unwhitened teeth, explaining why it is so much more yellow than his other visible teeth, which appear to be natural and recently whitened.  It is also likely that he has some gum issues, which would result in the loss of those teeth.

My treatment plan for Bernie Sanders would include a dental implant (if he is otherwise a good candidate for the procedure), which could support a very natural-looking bridge.  These implants can also support dentures, and are the gold-standard for replacing multiple missing teeth. 

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz appears to be a grinder.  The youngest of the crowd, he should have the best teeth because the effects of aging naturally haven’t taken their toll.  However, his smile is never broad, and he seems to hide his upper dentition with his upper lip, exposing very little of his teeth. 

From a close inspection, his teeth to have had little or no cosmetic work done, but they appear to be worn down considerably.  Because the wear is appears to be even across the dentition, it is most likely that he has been grinding for quite some time, probably in his sleep.

To improve his smile, I would first whiten them, then use a combination of bonding and veneers to lengthen his teeth, and definitely a night-guard to protect his teeth.

John Kasich

John Kasich’s teeth appear very natural.  They show signs of age-related wear, but very little cosmetic work having been done, other than what appears to be a crown on one of his molars.  The unevenness of his teeth reflect the little injuries to our teeth due to wear over the course of time.  Other than the wear, the only remarkable elements of his smile are that his teeth could use whitening (also typically age-related stuff)  and he has some amalgam (metal) fillings which show through some of his molars on his left (your right) side.

My treatment plan for him would include first Zoom! whitening, then reshaping and bonding (or at his option some veneers), and possibly replacing the amalgam fillings with composite fillings (tooth-colored), if the current translucence bothers him.

Donald Trump

Whether you support Donald Trump’s campaign for presidency or not, his teeth have never looked better.  Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, West Hartford cosmetic dentist, has some ideas:

• He appears to have had all of his teeth covered with porcelain veneers and crowns:  Just look at his smile. His teeth are straight and nicely sized, with no gaps or chips. Teeth tend to have wear over time, but Trump’s smile shows none of this.  This is not genetics, it’s cosmetic dentistry.  In common parlance, dentists refer to this as a “roundhouse”.  Porcelain veneers and crowns are a great way to achieve this look. With veneers, a thin layer of porcelain is coated over your teeth, giving them a natural beautiful look.  Crowns are made entirely of porcelain and are placed over a tooth, post or implant to achieve a natural tooth appearance when a tooth is too far gone to veneer.  When he exposes his lower teeth, they also appear to have veneers.
• He gets is reported to get regular whitenings: Teeth naturally begin to yellow and stain with age, coffee, tea, and other foods. It has been said that Trump regularly gets his teeth whitened to help them keep a younger and cleaner appearance. Whitening, especially with the Zoom! whitening system, is an easy procedure that can instantly lift years off your teeth.  However, with his veneers, whitening is much less necessary.  It doesn’t mean he might not still get it.

While the extent of Trump’s work is likely to have cost him quite a bit of money, Dr. Elzbieta W. Basil, DMD, West Hartford cosmetic dentist and New Britain cosmeticdentist, provides high quality dental services at affordable prices. You, too, can have a smile that stands out.  Some procedures include:

·      
·       Zoom! Whitening
·       Bonding
·       Enamelreshaping
·       PorcelainVeneers
·       Crownsand Bridges
·       DentalImplants
·       Tooth-Coloredfillings
·       GumReshaping, and
·       Night-guards to protect that lovely smile