The Perfect Smile - Anti-Ageing Through Cosmetic Dentistry

Gone are the days when people wanted you to know they had work done. Frozen faces, duck lips, breasts like globes - it all seems a bit dated.  Especially celebrities favours a much more natural look these days. People just want to look naturally young and gorgeous.
The same applies to teeth and dentistry. The "Hollywood smile" is no longer a look to aspire to.

Cue Dr. Miguel Stanley, dentist to the A-list. 
A British national, born in South Africa to a Portuguese father and English mother, Dr Stanley has a global perspective. And with an international high end clientele jetting in from such far flung places as Beverly Hills, Moscow and Dubai for treatments, Miguel is truly a renowned international figure in the industry. And with clients of this calibre – there is no room for error. By using a state of the art software and 3D imagery, Dr Stanley literally maps out the inside of a patient’s mouth and digitally designs the ideal smile ensuring size, colour and proportion of teeth are the most natural possible.  He explains, “It is possible nowadays for the patient to envision exactly how much of the tooth structure will be removed and exactly what will they look like at the very end of their treatment. We use an intra-oral mock-up, meaning that the lab and the dentist design the smile, that then goes into the patient’s mouth temporarily, so that they can take photographs and see themselves in the mirror before advancing into the unknown.”

In a recent interview he reveals the top most requested smile fixes for today’s superstars and you will be surprised how many years you might be able to knock off through these procedures!

A Smile Lift – Correcting Vertical Dimension loss (Facially integrated smile design)
People are quick to go to a plastic surgeon to fix jowls or do a lower face lift – but actually it’s their teeth that’s making them look older.  At 18, teeth start ageing especially enamel which is constantly under attack from acids and sugar in food and drink.  In addition, due to our busy and stressful lives, more and more people grind their teeth gradually shaving millimetres off the back and front of their teeth.  This phenomenon causes a loss of vertical height and wrinkles at the corner of the lips start to appear. A lot of people will go first to their plastic surgeon for a face lift rather than see a dentist, who can actually do a lot more to rejuvenate your face by restoring the vertical dimension. People should then go to the dentist first before the plastic surgeon. 
 
Gum discolouration – Gingival Peeling
Some people can experience discolouration of gums as they age resulting in brown spots or darkening of that tissue which has an immediate aging effect. Also pink gums look a lot healthier and younger than grey or brown. This can be done by physical removal using a bur, or by laser or acid. Gingival peeling is a non-invasive, instantaneous treatment done under local anaesthetic to alter the colour of gums back to their youthful healthy colour. This should always be done prior to any veneers or cosmetic dental work as it sets the tone.
 
Facial fillers on the INSIDE of the lip
If we are looking straight in the mirror, with all our facial expressions relaxed, we should be able to see the tip of our front two incisors (your two big front teeth).  As we age, flaccidity of the lips, and in some cases grinding, causes the lip to be longer than the teeth, resulting in a more aged appearance.  By using a facial filler on the inside of the lip, it can add volume and lift the lip revealing that tip of the two front teeth once again. 
 
Receding gums – Gingival Grafting
Receding gums are the result of several factors: age, intensive brushing, tobacco, genes and grinding exposing the root of the tooth.  The teeth appear longer, but in the wrong direction, at the top rather than at the bottom.  Gingival grafting, or periodontal surgery, where soft tissue from the palate is grafted on the exposed root, is very effective in restoring a youthful looking mouth.  The healing time is 1-2 weeks and this is seen as one of the most effective facial rejuvenation treatments. This procedure is only to be done by an experienced periodontal surgeon.
 
Colour-Bleaching
This is a good solution for patients with good teeth and no previous treatments as bleaching does not work on caps or crowns.  A good dentist should always disclose this information so that there are no surprise costs after a simple bleaching.  Whiter teeth are associated with youth so a dental bleaching in-office or home techniques are both valid solutions and are the easiest and simplest way to rejuvenate your smile. 
 
Shape- Dental Contouring
We know that the shape of a person’s teeth, not only their size, can have a huge influence on how others perceive that person.  Men usually have squarer teeth and women usually have rounder anatomy so a dentist must be extremely cautious in controlling the design and shape of someone’s new smile because if not carefully planned according to the patient’s anatomy and gender we can create emotional stress without even knowing it, or the patient even knowing it.
 
Says Dr Stanley, “It’s an utter certainty that your smile affects people’s perception of you.  Research shows that people with great smiles are seen as more intelligent and more honest than their counterparts. A better smile can make a massive difference in one’s life. For me, that’s what it’s all about.  Creating a beautiful smile is more than my work – it’s my art.” 

​By Philipp Ueberfellner
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