Are veneers the new boobs?

The other night, I accidentally fell The Golden Bachelor, which caught my eye (like a piece of grit) when I opened my Hulu account. Without going into the reasons I found the show creepy – ok, wait, I want to mention something. I love evil, even old spoiled brats. But when a contestant told bronze Bach that she wore six-inch heels and was fine with six inches (wink, wink)? www. Unfortunately, I found myself fantasizing. Which means this reality is not my reality.

What I was interested in, though, were all the teeth. I’ve never seen so many teeth on one screen. The size of the teeth! The mass! The dazzle! When I realized I was more distracted by the teeth than the overexposure, I thought: That’s it: Teeth are the new boobs. I recently mentioned this to the New York cosmetic dentist Mark Lowenbergwho likens XXL chompers — which are often veneers, but we’ll get to that — to the grandeur of DD implants.

It probably should come as no surprise that teeth whitening is the most popular dental procedure in the US, with a $6.9 billion global market and increases, along with a $2.1 billion global market For veneer. Which brings me to a reader question about the state of her smile.

Q: I’ve noticed that my smile has changed as I’ve gotten older. What gives?

ONE: What gives? Gum tissue gives. Chances are your gums have started to recede away from the top portion of your teeth, exposing part of the root. The length of the average front tooth is 9 to 12 millimeters. with recession and root exposure, it can reach 15 millimeters, Lowenberg said. (Hence the expression “long in the tooth,” denoting someone of advanced age.) In the same way that skin loses collagen fibers, gum tissue loses mass. The best preventative thing you can do is to brush and floss twice a day, which can help keep your gums free of bacteria and therefore disease that worsens recession. But don’t overdo it: Brushing too hard can remove gum tissue. I like this toothbrush recommended by the dentist.

In their determination to maintain a healthy and vital—and perhaps even youthful—appearance, TGB Contestants would be wise to invest in their smiles. Poor dental aesthetics are linked to a lack of self-confidence – and studies show that discolored teeth have a negative impact on social perceptions. Healthy chompers can also help maintain facial architecture as the cheeks and lips are supported by the teeth and jaw. So getting your teeth professionally whitened seems like a good way to freshen up your face because (a) white teeth are a sign of good health (and youth) and (b) the process isn’t outrageously expensive and it’s pretty easy. But Lowenberg pointed out that whitening—even when done professionally—rarely makes a dramatic, obvious difference once your teeth have begun to darken. the darker they are, the harder it is to bleach them. The biggest downside, he said, is that whitening doesn’t last and needs to be reapplied every 6 to 12 months for maintenance. Home whitening kits have unpredictable results, he added.

If you do decide to go with a professional whitening, you want to aim low, anyway. It is best to start with a natural shade of pale rather than a whiter one. (Too white teeth look fake at any age, but on a mature person, they can look … fake.) Finding the most natural shade depends in part on your skin tone: Simply put, the lighter your skin, the the lighter your teeth are, as olive or darker skin can create too much contrast with bright pearly whites. Better if the color of your teeth matches the whites of the eyes, which are usually a creamy off-white.

Considering their age TGB Contestants, it is more likely that overzealous whitening does not take into account the condition of the teeth. A better explanation is veneers. They have appeared everywhere. Why now? Washington Position journalist Jessica Goldstein attributes the ubiquitous glare to social media (one cosmetic dentist in Beverly Hills has over 750,000 Instagram followers) and the current accessibility of cosmetic dentistry. The dentist with the huge following claims he can make women in their 40s and 50s look like they’re 30. Goldstein mentions there’s even a cosmetic dentist, Sarah Hahnwhich monitors the size and quality of celebrity veneers @veneercheck. Hahn carefully points out the reasons why many of these assisted smiles make people look, as Lowenberg put it, like they swallowed a piano.

The key to a balanced smile is the ceramist, who actually makes the teeth, Lowenberg said. The most authentic-looking veneers require the artistry of a ceramist who creates each one by hand, layering different shades of porcelain to create translucency and texture. Without translucency, the light bounces off the teeth, resulting in something that can mimic a cartoon. Some people want that look, Lowenberg pointed out, though he doesn’t provide it, preferring a more natural smile.

Like breast augmentation, veneers are expensive—between $2,000 and $4,500 per tooth and up to $100,000 or more for a full set. Like other aesthetic interventions, their cost and chosen proportions can indicate all sorts of things about class, values, and aesthetic taste. I understand that some people think bigger is better, in general. But like many of TGB Contestants reveal that the biggest can be distracting when that preference shows up in your face.