Self-employed mother-of-two Mandy Turver insists she never had much time to worry about herself. Even in her mid-50s, with both sons grown up and with young families, she found herself still putting their needs first – spending evenings babysitting grandchildren or cooking them meals.
But despite her dedicated husband Nigel and a fulfilling career, there was one insecurity that plagued Mandy: her smile.
Her teeth had never been bad – but as Mandy, from Rotherham, aged, they seemed to become ever more crooked, as well as yellowing.
She explains: ‘I’d never had issues. But my teeth changed and it really began to affect my confidence. I found myself holding a hand in front of my mouth when I spoke. I felt like I had the smile of a much older woman.’
Today, however, Mandy smiles with confidence. In fact, she grins broadly to show off her newly perfect smile.
Over the course of the past year, she has undergone a new kind of dental procedure dubbed ‘the ABC technique’.
Named for its three components – align, brighten and contour – the £4,000 method is, say its advocates, minimally invasive, painless and long-lasting.
It doesn’t involve any drilling or injections and it is carefully designed to create a more natural look than other cosmetic dental makeovers – which the firm behind it says is particularly aimed at those seeking an age-appropriate aesthetic.
Mandy Turver spent years feeling embarrassed about her crooked teeth until the makeover
Her teeth before and after the procedure, which left the mother of two feeling delighted
Mandy is delighted with the results, saying: ‘I’m blown away by the difference it has made – to my confidence and appearance. I should have done it years before.’
More importantly, getting her teeth fixed has helped her overcome her long-time fear of dentists – developed after a botched root canal in her 30s.
‘The reaction I get from other people is amazing. They’re always so shocked to hear I’ve had my teeth done,’ she adds. ‘I didn’t think they could look so natural.’
Statistics show that more than half of all Britons are insecure about their smile – with as many as two-thirds being too self-conscious to smile with their teeth in photographs. The problem often worsens with age as teeth weaken and yellow.
A lifetime of chewing, grinding and eating acidic foods can wear down enamel – the protective, white outer layer of the tooth – revealing the yellower layer of dentin beneath. This can cause cosmetic and physical issues.
As enamel is also responsible for protecting the nerve endings in the tooth, erosion can lead to sensitivity to cold as well as pain when chewing. Our gums also recede over time, pulling away from the teeth and exposing roots that are softer and more susceptible to decay and infections.
But the characteristic tooth crowding that often occurs in old age is caused by another factor entirely, says Dr Affan Saghir, dental surgeon and owner of Space Dental, where Mandy was treated.
He explains: ‘As we age, the teeth in the lower jaw begin to jut forwards and downwards. This causes crowding, which can be unsightly. But it also throws off the symmetry of the bite.
‘The bottom teeth, as we chew or bite, begin to collide with the top teeth. This can cause the tops of the teeth to gradually grind down, making the teeth look a bit off.’
This was what was happening to Mandy when she first arrived at his London clinic. Her teeth, crowded and uneven in her lower jaw, needed to be straightened – the first step of the ABC technique.
This is done with removable clear aligners. These custom-made braces are worn 22 hours a day – removed only to eat or be cleaned. Each week they are swapped out for a different pair, moving the teeth incrementally.
Despite a little discomfort when the aligners are first swapped, Mandy said she hardly noticed them during eight months of wear.
Midway through this process, the teeth are whitened with an at-home bleaching solution.
The final contouring step involves bonding composite – a resin that is also used to repair tooth chips – being applied to uneven teeth to make edges straight.
Made to match the natural tooth colour, this is shaped and hardened with a blue light before being polished. The result is a near-perfect, yet natural-looking smile, which requires no further treatment except normal biannual hygienist and dental check-ups.
Each of the three procedures is widely used by dentists medically as well as cosmetically. But by coining it the ABC technique, Dr Affan hopes it will help patients better understand what’s going on.
‘I have many patients who come in wanting a smile that’s appropriate for how they envisage themselves,’ he says. ‘They walk out, at 60, looking 30. With a hard-wearing, highly resilient, perfectly straight and white smile.’
Mandy, on seeing her new grin in the mirror, says: ‘I started to cry. I felt like a whole new woman.’
