Should Your Dental Health Change as You Age?
As you age, your lifestyle and health needs change. But does that mean your dental health should change too?
Today Karalee Family Dental, your Chuwar Dentist, will be looking at commonly associated age-related dental problems and discovering if dental habits and treatment should change as we get older.
Continue reading to find out if your dental health should change as you age.
Cavities, infections and dry mouth
The risk of cavities, often associated with children and sugary sweets, increase with age. Why? One reason is dry mouth, a condition which can cause cavities.
Dry mouth is a common side effect of many medications used to treat age-related chronic conditions. This can lead to difficulty in swallowing, tooth decay, gum inflammation, and infections can result due to less saliva in the mouth.
As we age, our body gets more susceptible to a range of diseases due to the way our body changes. As such, we’re prescribed many medications (with side effects) to treat or manage these illnesses.
Age-related facial changes
Ageing sees the skin on our faces droop, our upper lip getting longer and the dental arches in our jaw narrow and crowd. The lack of facial support and gradual increase of crowding begins in our late 30s or 40s, and over time can lead to pain, teeth cleaning difficulties and a drop in the aesthetics of our smiles.
All of the stains, chips and cracks throughout your life will alter the look of your smile over time.
Talk to your local dentist to see how we can help you maintain your youthful smile.
Not a lost cause
It’s time to disregard the belief that getting older means you have to lose your teeth.
Teeth are removed because of disease, not because they’re old. This belief stems from real, unfortunate circumstances, however, that can arise from ageing, such as:
- Cavities (tooth decay)
- Gum disease
- Cancer and other chronic diseases
Oral Hygiene, not ageing
The biggest cause of gum recession is actually inadequate oral hygiene, not ageing. A build-up of tartar under the gums can cause inflammation (gingivitis) and lead to gum disease (periodontitis). These conditions cause the gums to pull back to the base of the tooth, exposing more of the root which is vulnerable to decay and sensitivity.
Gum recession is a painful possibility of poor oral hygiene, and not an inevitability of ageing.
For older adult’s good oral hygiene can:
- Be critical to overall wellness
- Boost quality of life
- Provide confidence and dignity with a beautiful smile
It’s arguably more important than ever to look after your dental health as you age. Removing your natural teeth doesn’t have to be the only option when you’re practicing good dental hygiene.
There’s plenty of focus on childhood and preventative dentistry, like teaching good dental hygiene at an early age, braces and wisdom tooth extraction. However, good oral health is an important aspect in all stages of the lifespan.
A beautiful smile is one of the greatest niceties you can give other people. Trust Karalee Family Dental, your caring and professional Chuwar dentist with your smile and learn to adapt your dental health to your changing dental needs.
Want to know more about what getting older means for your dental health? Contact the friendly team at Karalee Family Dental today and book an appointment to discuss your unique dental needs.
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