Once upon a time, living with wear-and-tear from age and neglect was an unavoidable reality in the mouths of maturing adults.

Reversing what nature had wrought was an indulgence. Only the rich, the famous, the vain eccentric were exempt. And so older folks accepted the slow degeneration" ?yellow, worn-down nubs and dark gaps from teeth ravaged by disease and decay. Even function suffered. Biting an apple, articulate speech were other possible problems.

Enter the restorative power of modern dentistry!

"Now the dental arsenal easily vanquishes the common enemies of oral health,"? says Dr. Sherman H. Telis, of the Washington Center for Dentistry in Washington, DC. "The marvels of gum therapy, crowns, bridges, veneers and implants have the power to restore what used to be an accepted part of aging of the mouth."?

Restorative dentistry" ?often coupled with cosmetic dentistry" ?is now the province of the average dental consumer. Patients are seeking treatment for rehabbing swollen gums, rejuvenating unsightly broken teeth and filling gaps with "new"? teeth that get "implanted"? into the bone and function and look like natural teeth.

And patients know a lot about treatments from the Internet and the media. "It's astonishing how much information there is out there for patients,"? Dr. Telis says.

Here's a rundown of restorative options:

Crowns - A new generation of fine-grade porcelain gives crowns an astonishing look of real teeth. Mimicking nature's pearlescent glow and translucency, these crowns are indistinguishable from their natural-born neighbors. And these newer, stronger materials eliminate the need for metal under layers that cast an unsightly dark shadow under the gums. The newer techniques in fashioning crowns also make it possible to fit them more seamlessly into the bite.

Bridges - Today's strong, beautiful porcelains also make it possible to span the area of a missing tooth" ?with no shiny metal clasps or other tell-tale signs of prosthetic dental treatment.

Implants - This ever-improving advance in modern dentistry is responsible for preserving normal dentition without needing to resort to a partial or full denture that needs to be removed from the mouth at night. Once an iffy choice, now the implant touts a 97 percent success rate and is increasingly the treatment of choice for replacing missing teeth. And often the result is stronger and more durable than natural teeth. The process is getting more streamlined, as some implants get placed into the gum and bone the same day, along with a temporary crown. Patients have little inconvenience in their appearance as the process goes forward.

Porcelain "fillings"?" ?Also known as composites and inlays or onlays, these restorations are another way to rejuvenate teeth via the wonders of porcelain. The healthy, whiter look makes teeth look young and bright.

Veneers - Few treatments surpass these thin, sculpted shells of porcelain when transforming unattractive, old teeth into a beautiful, natural, younger looking smile. Again, the high-grade porcelains create a lovely, glowing smile that looks absolutely natural.