As teeth age, they are ground down, shifted and sometimes lost completely as a result of a misaligned bite and other forces we place on them. Over time, skin loses elastin and collagen, creating wrinkles sagging and a more hollowed out look due to the loss of fat pads primarily in the cheeks. When people look in the mirror, they often only correlate the look of aging with the changes in their skin – what they fail to realize is that the teeth completely support the lower face, and over time, that support collapses. Our goal with anti-aging dentistry is to create harmony in the face and reestablish youthfulness in a natural way.Because the teeth essentially serve as the foundation of the face, the first step in Anti-Aging Dentistry is to return the teeth to a more favorable position to provide the necessary support for the lips and tissues of the face. Think of it this way – we can fill the lips to restore youthful volume, but without the underlying structure that is the teeth, even the most beautiful pout will sink in.

Once we have returned the teeth to proper placement, the next step is to restore balance to the face. We carefully analyze all elements of the face, taking into account the face shape, tooth size, light refraction, tooth color as well as age and skin tone of the patient. We want to be precise in making the teeth complement the overall balance of the face, and in doing so, we will work to return lost volume where necessary.

Each patient has a unique face and it is our goal to enhance naturally distinctive and beautiful features. Our smile design method is vastly different from that of other dentists, as the customary method only focuses on perfectly symmetrical teeth. There is so much more that goes into creating a perfectly custom smile.

After the full facial assessment and detailed consultation with the patient, we create a mock up to show the patient exactly what their new smile will look like. Dr. de Jongh carefully sculpts temporary restorations over the teeth, which is an uncommon step for most dentists. Through outstanding artistic ability, we are able to produce a trial smile that the patient will wear for several weeks. During this period, we will have the patient come in several times to make minor adjustments. We encourage the patient to ask friends, carefully and critically analyze and take notes on what they like and dislike about their smile. Once both the patient and Dr. de Jongh are completely satisfied with the teeth, we will duplicate the temporary work exactly and permanent porcelain restorations will be fabricated.