When people notice signs of aging in the lower face, their first thoughts may be to use neurotoxins to change the shape of the face such as Botox, filler or even having a lower facelift. But cosmetic dentist Dr. Kooper Ruminer says another part of the aging face is often overlooked: the teeth. By restoring lost tooth height, improving facial proportions and supporting the lips through this addition of tooth structure, cosmetic dentistry can influence how the lower face appears… making your cosmetic dentist the first person you might want to talk to if considering a lower facelift.
“We talk constantly about how our skin, muscles and lips change as we age, but our teeth age us too,” said Dr. Ruminer, founder of 405 Dental Aesthetics in Oklahoma City. “Teeth can wear down, become shorter and shift over time, and the bite can change. Those changes may affect the proportions and appearance of the lower third of the face.”
Dr. Ruminer describes the concept as a “dental facelift,” not because cosmetic dentistry replaces injectables or facial surgery, but because thoughtfully restoring the teeth and smile may influence the underlying framework of the lower face. A patient may assume that changes around the mouth or jawline are caused entirely by the skin or soft tissue. However, a cosmetic dentist will evaluate tooth length, bite, lip support and the relationship between the smile and the rest of the face. For some patients, that assessment may be an important step when exploring anti-aging options for facial rejuvenation.
Dr. Kooper Ruminer offers three ways that getting a smile makeover can help shave off some years on the face as we age:
- Restoring Height to the Lower Face – Years of biting, chewing and grinding can gradually wear teeth down. As teeth lose height, changes in the bite and vertical dimension may contribute to a lower face that appears shorter or more compressed. In appropriately selected patients, cosmetic or restorative dentistry may rebuild lost tooth structure and restore more balanced proportions. Depending on the patient’s anatomy, oral health and treatment needs, options could include bonding, veneers or more comprehensive restorative dentistry. The goal is not simply to make the teeth longer. It is to establish an appropriate relationship among the teeth, bite, smile and face while preserving healthy function.
- Creating the Appearance of a Longer, Leaner Lower Face – Changing facial proportions can also affect how wide or narrow the lower face appears. When lost dental height is appropriately restored, the resulting change in the face’s width-to-height ratio may create the appearance of a longer or leaner lower face in certain patients. The treatment can physically slim the face or reduce the prominence of jaw muscles ; cahnging the visual proportions of the lower third. Because altering tooth length can also affect the bite, Ruminer cautions against approaching veneers as a one-size-fits-all beauty treatment. Tooth position, jaw function, muscle activity and overall oral health must all be evaluated before treatment.
- Supporting the Lips Through Dental Structure – Lips naturally lose volume and elasticity with age, but the teeth behind them also contribute to their appearance and support. Changes in tooth position, contour and wear may alter how the lips rest against the smile. For carefully selected patients, no-prep or minimal-prep veneers may allow a cosmetic dentist to strategically modify the contour and volume of the teeth. Rather than adding volume directly to the lips, the objective is to optimize the dental structure behind them. The effect is highly patient-specific, and veneers cannot reproduce the results of injectable treatments or facial surgery. However, evaluating the relationship between the teeth and lips may provide another piece of the facial-aesthetics puzzle.
Before the facelift, look at the smile. The growing overlap between cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics is expanding the traditional idea of a smile makeover. Instead of designing teeth in isolation, cosmetic dentists may also consider how tooth shape, length and position interact with the lips, bite and overall facial proportions. For patients concerned about lower-face aging, Ruminer believes a dental evaluation may help identify which structures are contributing to the changes they see.
“A facelift addresses the skin and facial tissues, while cosmetic dentistry addresses the teeth and dental structures. They are very different treatments,” Ruminer said. “But before asking, ‘What procedure do I need?’ it is important to ask, ‘What has changed?’ Once we understand that, we can have a much more informed conversation about the options.”
For some patients, surgery or injectables may ultimately be appropriate. For others, worn teeth or changes in the smile and bite may be contributing to the aesthetic concerns that prompted them to explore facial rejuvenation in the first place.
Dr. Kooper Ruminer is a cosmetic dentist and smile specialist located in Oklahoma City. He is the owner of 405 Dental Aesthetics, where he offers general and cosmetic dentistry. His services include general dentistry, restorative dentistry, clear aligners, emergency dentistry, and sedation dentistry. Restorative treatments include dental bridges, bonding, crowns, dentures, implants, and root canals. Cosmetic services include no-prep veneers, minimal-prep and traditional veneers in porcelain or 3D printed materials, smile makeovers, gum contouring, clear aligners and other restorative and aesthetic treatments. He offers a complimentary cosmetic consultation. To get more information, and schedule a free consultation, visit the site at: https://405dentalaesthetics.com/.
