Did you know that gravity impacts your aging? You’re probably wondering how, and although we can’t defy gravity, we may be able to get you just that much closer to the “fountain of youth.”
Time and gravity are two unstoppable forces we have no control over, and it’s not always on our side. Dr. Jill Wade of Stonebriar Smile Design often tells her patients that “gravity wants everything to move down and forward, and I mean everything.” Although gravity keeps you grounded, literally, its pull also changes your body, your face, and surprisingly enough, your teeth.
As you age, your face starts to get longer, affecting the symmetry of your face—thank you, gravity—and, in the world of dentistry, it also shows in your smile by the limited amount of teeth you show (when you smile), which gets less and less over time due to the upper lip shifting lower on the face. Now, don’t panic, because we are going to explore some bio-hacking solutions to stave off, or even reverse, gravity’s effects. We know the importance of looking good and feeling good, and that includes your smile, of course.
You can say a lot with a smile, and the same can be said for a frown, but do you realize that perpetually frowning accelerates the gravitational effects of aging on your face? Even the way you sleep can age your face prematurely. “Ideally, we would sleep on our backs,” Dr. Wade states. “Where the gravitational pull is equal and…both sides look the same,” but it’s probably a safe approximation that there are many people who sleep on their side or stomach. “And when that happens,” Dr. Wade goes on to say. “Typically, that side of your face will literally be flatter than the other side of your face…creating asymmetries in the face.”
As a dentist, when designing smiles for her patients, Dr. Wade pays attention to the lips, the overall face, and the symmetry of the face. She will even notice things her patients may not have noticed about themselves, that is until they get that fabulous smile they just can’t stop looking at. It’s then they might begin to notice things like “one side of their lip [being] a little bit flatter or a little bit lower than the other side.” Dr. Wade believes it’s her job to notice those things beforehand so she can offer solutions at the same time as designing their smiles.
Gravity will also shift your jaw toward your favored [sleeping] side, causing you to wear your teeth in a different pattern on one side versus the other.
Working with Gravity
It’s not easy to change your sleeping patterns or positions, and that kind of change most likely wouldn’t last. So, instead of suggesting you sleep on your back, Dr. Wade has other ways to help protect your teeth, and instead of trying to defy gravity, you’ll work with it.
- Mouth Guard: Sleeping with a retainer or night guard will help protect your teeth at night, which keeps you from grinding, wearing down, or breaking your teeth.
- Botox: Neurotoxins such as Botox allows the muscles to relax, effectively “erasing” the memory of the muscle and its tendency to pull in the same direction.
These aren’t true resolutions to the effects of aging, of course, but Dr. Wade attests that these recommendations along with other cosmetic dentistry procedures, like veneers or crowns or a customized smile design, will help preserve your appearance and your smile. For example, because of gravity, side-sleepers who do not sleep with retainers or night guards have a greater chance of a subtle collapse on their favored side. Whereas those who do sleep with a mouth guard will maintain a fuller smile because the guard provides not only protection for the teeth but reestablishes the natural position of the mouth—effectively “reversing” the gravitational position of “down and forward” to “back and out.” This will allow you to look younger and turn back the hands of time, so to speak.
Anti-Aging for Your Teeth
One of the first ways Dr. Wade gets a clue about your age is by looking at your lower front teeth. The giveaway? The narrowness of the teeth and how crowded those teeth are. She explains that most of the time, the more narrow those teeth are and the more crowded they are, the more aged that person is.
Thanks to the power of gravity, your teeth will also move as you age. The simplest, not to mention affordable, anti-aging device for this is the trusty night guard, which can cost anywhere from $250–350. While it’s definitely an investment, a retainer will last for years, and because it prevents you from grinding your teeth, fracturing them, or damaging your crowns or fillings, it will save you time and money in the long run, which Dr. Wade likens to “an insurance policy” for your teeth. 
Another small but effective bio-hack to stave off the effects of aging has to do with the humble straw. Most people probably don’t think about it, but when you pucker to drink from a straw, you’re using all of your lip muscles, which, over time causes you to develop fine lines around your mouth—for which the same can be said of smokers. To keep looking as young as possible, Dr. Wade suggests putting the straw further back into your mouth and using your mouth to actually create the suction rather than your lips.
Implementing these suggestions, especially in tandem with, perhaps, a neurotoxin, will keep those deep wrinkles at bay. Dr. Wade can also help reduce the signs of aging, without having to endure surgery, by using filler to restore the symmetry of your face. The best part is that you’ll still look like yourself, just a more refreshed, younger-looking you. While these procedures and changes may seem small, they’ll make a big impact on your life, and by proxy, everyone around you, as you smile more and feel more confident in your appearance.
Click here to watch this episode of the Beyond Face Value Show on YouTube with co-host Laura Lewis-Edwards.
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