How to Keep Your Smile Bright as You Get Older

While there are many ways to maintain a youthful appearance as we age, a healthy smile is one of the most noticeable.

From proper oral hygiene to regular dental visits, keeping your teeth bright and healthy into your senior years is manageable. And, for AAA members in Massachusetts, it’s affordable and accessible with help from an Altus Dental plan through AAA Northeast.

Our Changing Smiles

When properly cared for, dental enamel gives your teeth their white color and protects the sensitive layers of nerves and blood supply beneath. But after years of acid erosion and friction, the enamel can wear away, exposing the yellow dentin beneath. Dentin also increases as we age, making our teeth less luminous and causing them to appear darker.

Some factors and lifestyle choices that can affect the health of your tooth enamel include:

• Age. Over time, brushing your teeth can cause the outer enamel layer to thin, which may result in the underlying yellowish dentin becoming more visible.
• Food and Drink. Coffee, tea and red wine are major stain-makers as they have strong color pigments called chromogens. Staining occurs when these pigments attach to the white outer enamel of your teeth.
• Tobacco Use. The tar and nicotine in tobacco create stubborn surface stains that are difficult to remove. 
• Trauma. If you’ve ever experienced an oral injury, the affected tooth or teeth might have changed color, revealing more yellow-toned dentin beneath the enamel.
• Medications. Tooth discoloration can be a side effect of medications. If you were exposed to certain antibiotics while your teeth were forming, you may be more likely to experience tooth discoloration later in life. Chemotherapy and head and neck radiation treatments can also impact the color of your teeth.

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Preventive and Corrective Care

With regular dental visits, your dentist can monitor and advise you about changes to your teeth including shortening, discoloration or extreme sensitivity. Depending on your specific needs, your dentist may also recommend ways to keep your teeth healthy and minimize wear, like fitting you with a nightguard to prevent teeth grinding or suggest dietary changes to prevent further damage to enamel.

When it comes to correcting surface discoloration, teeth whitening is a popular solution to achieve a more youthful appearance. From stain removing toothpastes and whitening strips to in-office dental bleaching, there are many ways to whiten teeth, but it’s important to talk to your dentist to determine the best option for you and to minimize any potential side effects like tooth sensitivity, or damage to the tooth enamel or gums.

A bright smile can make you look and feel more youthful, and it’s something that’s possible with regular visits to a trusted dentist. AAA members living in Massachusetts can access quality coverage at more than 10,000 locations locally with Altus Dental. Explore the benefits and enroll today.