When you think about what makes you look older, you might picture smile lines, yellow teeth, and maybe a little bit of skin damage. What you might not know is that grinding your teeth can also give you a much older appearance.
Tooth grinding, or bruxism, is more common than smoking and other aging factors, so it’s worth learning a little bit more about how it could affect you over time. Here’s a guide that will tell you everything about how bruxism can make you look older, and how you can prevent that.
How Can Bruxism Make Me Look Older?
As you might imagine, grinding your teeth can make them much shorter after a while. The change may be so gradual that you don’t notice, but over time you could grind away enough of your teeth to actually change the way your jaw fits together when it’s closed.
This can make your bite much shorter than it used to be, which means cheeks that were previously held taught by the length of your teeth will start to sag. Imagine a tent if you made the tentpoles a few inches shorter—the canvas would start to develop a few wrinkles, right? The same concept applies here.
Your face sagging can have a subtle, but significant effect on your overall appearance. Like in the tent analogy, you’re likely to start developing wrinkles prematurely, which can make you look older than you are. Some patients also report their lips sagging at the ends, which can make it look like they have an unfriendly frown all the time.
How Do I Deal with Bruxism?
If you grind your teeth in your sleep, odds are that you aren’t going to be able to fix this habit through sheer willpower alone. You’ll need a nightguard, a thin strip of rubber that can ease the pressure on your teeth. If you’ve ever worn a mouthguard for sports, the concept is similar. Your dentist will sculpt you a mouthpiece particular to your needs, and that will stop the erosion of your enamel due to grinding.
The stress of life can be overwhelming, but with a nightguard, there’s no reason for it to affect your appearance.
About Our Practice
At Smile More Dentistry, we have designed every aspect of our practice to put our patients at ease. Whether you need a mouthguard, a checkup, or a complete smile makeover, we’ll give you the highest quality dental care in an environment that almost feels like home.
If you have any questions about how grinding your teeth can affect your appearance, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (845) 675-1512.