A genuine smile is one of the most precious things you can have. It conveys happiness, contentment, and approval to others around you, with proven benefits to both mood and health for you and the people around you.
It’s a sad thing to lose that ability (or willingness) to smile openly, especially if it’s due to increased self-consciousness as our teeth and mouth shape change with age.
Cosmetic dentistry – basically any procedure that improves the appearance of our teeth, gums and bites – is one increasingly available and affordable solution to help silvers regain their dashing smile – and the confidence that comes with it.
These procedures need not be complex or invasive. They can be as simple as regular teeth whitening to cleaning up stains from your daily cuppa.
Seniors who’re willing to go a little further, however, might opt for braces to reshape their jawline and close gaps between teeth; crowns and bridges to restore a worn-down tooth; an adjustment to the height of their teeth to adjust face height and look younger; and more.
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Essential for quality of life
This includes dentures and implants, which, though categorised under the umbrella of cosmetic dentistry, can be considered a necessity, say dentists interviewed by SilverStreak.
"Thus, it is essential not to be toothless."
Furthermore, many cosmetic ailments are also linked to overall dental health, adds the founder and managing director of GPlus Dental Center. Early diagnosis and treatment can reap dividends for seniors in the long run.
"In my opinion, gum diseases are often underdiagnosed compared to those in the United States. This needs to be addressed here, too."
Novel dental technologies on the rise
Meanwhile, improvements to cosmetic dentistry procedures are making the deal sweeter for people still apprehensive about any more trips to the dentist than absolutely necessary.
In the past decades, these include Invisalign — which offer patients a way to realign crooked teeth that is more comfortable, removable, and effectively invisible compared to traditional braces — and laser teeth whitening.
Naturally, these new methods typically cost more than older methods.
Invisalign usually costs 30 to 50% higher than traditional braces, while laser whitening costs up to three times as much as the predominant LED whitening.
That said, one added benefit of improvements in dentistry techniques that money can buy is less-damaging procedures.
Dr Ho gives the example of a novel gum graft technique that relies on loosening gum tissues rather than cutting it open with a scalpel and sewing it back up after.
Again, this comes at a cost, as online estimates for the procedure – dubbed Chao Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation for Dr John Chao, the dentist who developed it – put its price in the mid-four figures, roughly double what conventional gum graft procedures cost.
More recent developments that are still in the works, adds the dentist, include the use of artificial intelligence to assist with “diagnoses, making decisions, planning treatments and predicting the treatment outcomes”.
Uptick in seniors paying for cosmetic dentistry
To keep smiling, seniors in Singapore are generally more receptive to using the newer options.
