Your teeth and aging- How aging can affect your teeth

[Adonia Dennis]

Teeth and aging overview

No one is exempt from practicing proper oral health care.  Whether you’re young or old, it pays to have a good set of teeth and healthy gums not only to keep you looking youthful but, more importantly, to help keep you healthy.

One of the biggest misconceptions about aging is that it automatically comes with a full set of dentures, and weakened gums and teeth are natural consequences of senescence, the body’s natural aging process.  Years of oral health care will help you keep your teeth intact.  The earlier you start with a routine that keeps your mouth clean, the better payoff you will get as you get older.

Aging teeth: signs and causes

Older women and men, in general, face several and more severe oral health care challenges than their younger counterparts.  Yet, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more adults are able to keep their natural teeth well within and beyond 60 years of age.  From 31 per cent of adults 60 years and older who lost their natural teeth in the late 1990s, the statistics dropped to only 25 per cent by 2006; while for adults between the ages of 40 and 59 years, the number dropped from nine per cent down to only five per cent during the same period.

The CDC further reports:

• Over 40 percent of adults, 20 years and older, who have little or no income suffer from at least one untreated tooth decay compared to only 16 percent of sufficiently earning adults.  This shows that those who are gainfully employed are more likely to visit a dentist than those who are not.
• Among those falling between 45 and 54 years of age, 14 per cent are known to suffer from some form of gum disease.
• Chronic and lifelong diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer which affect a large number of the US population, compromises oral health.

Other than a weakened immune system and the declining capacity of older adults to assimilate proper nourishment from the food they eat, taking maintenance drugs is also a major contributing factor to their deteriorating health care.  Several maintenance drugs, particularly those that have something to do with heart diseases and high blood pressure, steroids, and chemotherapy, to name a few, have debilitating effects to oral health.  To make matters worse, bone and muscle loss during old age causes gums to recede which, in turn, causes teeth to fall.

Tooth loss and menopause, gum disease are further exacerbated by a lifetime of tobacco use, excessive alcohol intake, poor diet, and hormonal changes including menopause.

Signs that your teeth are aging include:

• Swollen and more frequent bleeding gums
• Noticeable receding of gums and the apparent separation from teeth
• More frequent occurrence of bad breath
• Loose teeth
• Teeth more easily chip
• Darker teeth color and appearance of stains

Don’t ignore aging teeth

Don’t ever think that just because you’re old, you’ve gained your license to neglect your teeth and oral health in general, and dismiss tooth loss and weakened gums as natural consequences of anti-aging.  You will want to keep your natural teeth well throughout your senior years or, you will be sorry you didn’t show those little enamels more TLC when you could have.

How to take care of aging teeth

Oral health care stays the same no matter how old or young you are.  Older people will just need to exert more effort to keep their teeth and gums healthy.  Here are some tips to help older adults achieve proper oral health care even in old age:

1. Practice good oral hygiene daily.  Older adults need to continue with the dentist-recommended oral health care system: Brush-Floss-Gargle. Brush teeth after meals or at least twice daily.  Floss to clean areas in between teeth thoroughly and prevent plaque and cavities from forming.  End your routine by rinsing your mouth an antiseptic mouthwash to kill and help balance bacteria and acid in the mouth that cause bad breath and tooth decay.
2. Watch what you eat.  Crave healthy foods that provide you with essential nutrients for stronger teeth and healthier gums.  Avoid sweets and acidic food which facilitate the growth of germs inside your mouth.  Refrain from eating tough foods that chip and scratch your teeth, and put unnecessary pressure on your gums.
3. Practice good personal hygiene all the time.  Dental caries is a communicable disease.  Refrain from sharing cups and utensils with other.
4. Visit your dentist every six months.  You should get an oral prophylaxis and have your teeth and gums checked every six months.

Final Verdict

Healthy teeth and gums transcend age differences because oral health care makes no difference whether you’re 16 or 60.

[Steffany Mohan, DDS]

All the chewing, crunching, biting, and gnashing we do on a day to day basis, our teeth are surprisingly getting resilient. With everyday wear and tear, the natural aging process take a toll. Teeth that have fillings or root canals are particularly very vulnerable, take good care of them by visiting your dentist regularly.