I was sitting at a dinner table in Vietnam with fellow tourists on one of our first nights together. The woman sitting next to me said something I didn’t hear because I was distracted by the poor condition of her teeth.

Her teeth were a shade of gray
flecked with yellow, and it was obvious they had never been embraced by braces
either as a child or adult because her eye teeth were jutting forward. I felt
guilty for judging, and I meant no disrespect.

Yet, I began to notice that my
seat-mate was not the only tourist at the table who had neglected the basic
primary oral care that can keep people over 60 more attractive and younger-looking.

It was a wake-up call when my
significant other told me that I should do something about my crooked bottom
lower teeth. Although I had been obsessed with good dental care for years, I
never saw my bottom teeth as a cosmetic concern.

I immediately went to my son’s
orthodontist and got braces on my lower teeth, only I chose to have them
implemented on the inside of my lower teeth so they didn’t show. Wearing braces
isn’t cool at any age, it seems.

The snaggle tooth problem was solved,
and with retainers (upper to keep my bite in line and lower to keep the teeth
straight), I was personally pleased and more confident.

But through the years, I realized
that the porcelain cap on my chipped front tooth, acquired after falling over a
railing in the summer of going into the fifth grade, needed work.

The gums underneath the tooth were impaired and bacteria was prevalent due to bad dental hygiene (translated: the dental hygienist never cleaned the area), despite the fact that I faithfully had my teeth cleaned twice a year since I was eight years old.

Lessons learned: your best friends are
your dental hygienist and a dentist who understands what creates a beautiful
smile, preferably one that displays white teeth instead of aging gray.

Find an Amazing Dental Hygienist

The moment my dentist told me that
the reason for bacteria build up behind my capped front tooth was a result of a
lack of cleaning by previous dental hygienists, the light bulb went on. Get the
best dental hygienist you can find and make her your best friend.

And because gums get soft with age
and can often develop abscesses as they pull away from the bone and separate
from the teeth, my new dental hygienist suggested I get my teeth cleaned every
four months instead of twice a year.

Most boomers don’t have dental
insurance with a medi-gap plan. If you do have insurance, it is quite possible
that you get the recommended teeth cleanings twice a year. Any other dental
work, such as crowns (maybe you get a discount for a crown), comes out of
pocket.

If you want to keep your teeth
sparkling white, maintain healthy gums, go the extra mile to create a
devastating smile, and have four dental visits a year instead of two, insurance
won’t provide coverage.

Either the extra costs will come from
other sources, like disposal income or bank savings, or you might take one less
vacation a year, or you might find a dentist that offers insurance through his/her
office.

Find a Dentist who Specializes in Smiles

More and more, you see signs on
dentists’ offices that announce that they Specialize
in Smiles. I was fortunate to have been going to a dentist who was way
ahead of the curve and was doing cosmetic dentistry for years before it became
popular.

Today, Smiles are a trend. More and more people are concerned about the
appearance of their teeth. Bad teeth are an indication of aging, even in young
people, but especially with boomers.

I was ahead of the curve, too,
because of a chipped tooth. Way back in 1956, Dr. Kagan decided to put a
plastic cap over my chipped tooth as I went into the seventh grade. Over a span
of two years, the cap discolored, and I would have to get a new one every other
year.

When I was 26, the dentist gave me a
permanent cap over my front tooth. And then, in my 40s, I had that tooth recapped
again.

Interestingly, no dentist I saw
suggested to file down the old tooth, which was definitely dead. When I started
to see a dentist in Las Vegas, a city always concerned with looks, I found
myself in good hands with a knowledgeable and professional dental hygienist.

As soon as the hygienist began poking
around my cap, she realized the cap had to come off. Bacteria was discovered in
the dead tooth, causing the gums to pull away.  

The dentist decided to not just put
on a crown, but to match that crown with a veneer – all color matched in the
lab. It was transformational.

And they even offered trays that I wear at night to keep my
teeth straight. The only downside to my amazing procedure was that I was not
able to do teeth whitening. Once you have a crown or a veneer with permanent
color, you cannot whiten your teeth because the coloring will not match any
longer.

Make Your Teeth Sparkling White

If you have bridges or crowns in your
mouth, it is unlikely you are a candidate for whitening. But if you want whiter
teeth, ask your dentist for suggestions.

Many years ago, I remember buying a
whitening kit over the counter. It actually worked until the dentist asked me
what I was doing to my teeth. I told him I was whitening them. That’s when I
learned that my porcelain cap was not ever going to become the same color as my
whiter teeth.

A dentist’s office has a procedure
for whitening. It is a professional service and undoubtedly costs more than the
over-the-counter whitening kit, which I purchased years ago. Be aware, this
procedure takes several office visits to the dentist, but it is well worth it
to have beautiful, white teeth.

It’s a Combination

I can’t stress enough the cumulative
effect of finding a dental hygienist who understands all the variables of not
just teeth cleaning four times a year, but also of gum disease and cracks in
cavities, one who recommends you get rid of the mercury fillings of the past
and replace them with an amalgam, and one who has a good working relationship
with his/her dentist.  

Being consciously aware of how
beautiful your smile will be with straight teeth that are white instead of gray,
and healthy gums, will give boomers more confidence and a sense of looking
youthful. It’s well worth the cost and effort.

Please check out my other articles in the healthy aging series: how to take care of your eyes, and your hearing.

What’s the current state of your
teeth? How did it get there? What can you do about it? Do you have insurance
coverage, or would you have to pay out of pocket for dental care? Are you
prepared to face the next decade with a sparkling smile? Please share your
thoughts with the community!