トップへ » I was told that may facial expression would change when I get my teeth fixed...

I was told that may facial expression would change when I get my teeth fixed...

This is a question answered by Dr. Inaba, representing dentists, in a feature article from a home magazine titled, Famous Doctors Answer Questions from Concerned 40-Somethings,

Q. The other day I took my mother to the dental clinic. She is going to be 66 years old this year but her face looks older. Many people think she is in her mid-70s. Not only does she seem older than her peers, but there is something about her expression that makes her look somewhat impoverished. She has always had all of her needs met and she is now living with me, her daughter. I don't think she should look so worn...

My mother doesn't like to visit the dentist, even if it is only to receive treatment on a single cavity like it was the other day. She really never goes to the dentist on her own. I was finally able to get her there the other day and the dentist suggested that she have 3 false teeth put in where she had already lost her teeth. She got right up and headed straight home upon hearing that. The dentist told me that since she had left those 3 spaces toothless for such a long time, her chewing functions have deteriorated and it has even had an effect on her bone. He said that this is one of the reasons for her emaciated look.

I don't quite understand a lot of the more difficult things that he said, but I do recall him saying "If she just gets those 3 teeth fixed, she will look 5 years younger at least". After he told me this, I couldn't help but think to myself that she certainly would look younger with her upper teeth numbers 3, 4, and 5 intact. Is it really possible to regain a youthful look by having your teeth fixed? I want to convince my mother to go in for treatment and I was wondering if you could help me find the right words. I would love her to get treatment as soon as possible so her grandchildren can play with her and look upon her beautiful face the way it used to be.

Also, I am sorry to bother you with more questions, but I was told I should replace the metallic fillings in my lower teeth with white-colored false teeth. You can see them when I laugh and it can be quite embarrassing. I heard that this could give me a brighter look so I was thinking about getting that taken care of as well. But if it won't help, I might regret getting treatment. Do you know how much this procedure could help my smile? Also I am willing and able to pay for treatment even if it comes out to be a little pricey.

A. Leaving the mouth with 3 missing teeth can have a negative effect on mastication functions (chewing functions). Just as your dentist has said, when you lose teeth the bilateral balance of the mouth is lost and the muscles on the side of the jaw where teeth are missing will deteriorate. As a result, facial features will most certainly lose their balance. Therefore, I absolutely recommend putting in false teeth.

You can see from the profile of someone who has lost teeth that their upper and lower lips sink inwards (left), but when the same person uses dentures, you can see that their natural features are restored (right).

Our appearance is also related to our personality

Just as people are told to take responsibility for their appearance after turning a certain age, it is said that people are responsible for creating their own countenances. In our society, the countenances of people who run companies, are in positions of responsibility, or have a business, are shaped by their various lifestyles. People who have healthy teeth give a nice impression to people around them and it is even said that our teeth say something about our level of education. Long ago people did not worry so much about poor tooth alignment or missing teeth. But in recent years, the state of our teeth has become an indicator of our status. For that reason, it seems that our appearance is beginning to tell a lot more about our personality.

It is true that fixing your teeth can make you look younger. But it is not just the teeth that effect the countenance. If someone stays at home all day with a negative attitude, that will add to their dreary demeanor. Nothing is more important than getting out of the house and interacting with people positively. The condition of your teeth is just one part of that equation. It is possible that if your mother has her teeth fixed, she may become more optimistic. This is why I recommend that you help her get dentures.


It is ideal to have your teeth fixed to look more natural

You also brought up the issue of your metallic teeth. We dentists always wish that our patients can have a natural smile of nice pearly whites just like the ones their parents gave them. It is important to have your teeth fixed so that no one can tell that you have had treatment done at all.

In recent years, most tooth disease has become preventable. With the correct oral care, you can protect against cavities and pyorrhea. But in the unlikely case that you do suffer from tooth disease, it is best if you can repair your teeth to their natural state. So for that reason, I think that you should aim for white teeth.

Nowadays, natural looking ceramic teeth are mainstream, but since Japanese healthcare does not yet cover ceramic teeth, people who are limited to health insurance must settle for metal crowns. With that said, we must remember that in some countries, health insurance only covers preventative medicine. That is, from the perspective of, "Since we know the cause of a disease and it is preventable, then if you suffer from the disease, it must be your own fault" and the idea that "Prevention can be paid for from a public source (medical insurance), but treatment must be covered by the individual, out-of-pocket", many countries require that citizens pay for their own treatment expenses. Please see your doctor and have your teeth restored to a better feeling, more natural state.


Changes of the face overtime

I do not know the detailed condition of your mother's face and the inside of your mouth, I can only give you a general answer. Please forgive me for this. You say that your mother looks older than her peers. Many factors affect how peoples' faces look.

When we are children, we inherit our facial features from our parents through genetics. Our parents' features present themselves in our face and there is nothing anyone can do to change this. In Japanese this is called umaretsuki, or 'the face we are born with'. Our faces tend to be rounder when we are young and our skin more supple. We have tight beautiful faces when we are young and at this age we have baby teeth. But they are replaced by adult teeth, our jaws take shape and the area under our noses develops giving us adults a longer face. Our faces are finished growing when we become adults and they begin to change in a different way as we age.

Faces change shape as people gain and lose weight. There are also changes associated with the environment. People who work outside all of the time will certainly have a peculiar look, and people who struggle with illness may lose weight and experience further changes in their face.

Changes to the eyes and mouth stand out the most

Changes that human beings cannot avoid are changes that accompany aging. Especially in your 66 year old mother's case. She has entered a time in her life when the changes are most apparent. Her hair is turning white and the muscles in her face are becoming thin. Changes to the eyes and mouth stand out the most. Some people have large bright eyes, others have small friendly eyes and some have beautiful almond-shaped eyes. The eyes have the largest effect on our expressions. When we are joyful our eyes open wide, when angry they close to a point, and when we age, they begin to gather wrinkles and the pockets of fat under them begin to stand out.

The mouth, just like the eyes, also has a large influence on our expressions. You can usually tell the extent of the expression in our eyes, how happy or how sad we are, by the shape of our mouths. For example, a joyful expression is characterized by glinting our eyes and loosening the tension in our lips. The happier we are, the wider our smiles open up. That is to say, we show how happy we are or how fun something is by how we open our mouths. Following this line of thought, we can say that the eyes and the mouth work together as a pair and that expressions are none other than composites of the various parts of our faces.

The characteristics that are visible around the mouth of an aging person are thin muscles and wrinkles under the nose. People with healthy teeth usually have less wrinkles, but when people lose their teeth the lips, which have lost their support, are pushed inwards by a group of muscles called the orbicularis oris muscles, creating may wrinkles.

You have said that your mother is missing her numbers 3 through 5 teeth in the upper right. Either side of her lips must be sinking inwards. I imagine that she must look thin with no teeth there.

I recommend that she gets treatment soon so that she can lead a happy life.

Patients who use Dr. Inaba's dentures truly have beautiful smiles, don't they!


トップへ » I was told that may facial expression would change when I get my teeth fixed...


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