Fortunately, taking care of our smiles as we go through life and enter our golden years isn’t all
that different from our regular oral care routine, with a few exceptions. Here are our top oral
care tips for seniors!

Stay Hydrated

Seniors have an increased risk for dry mouth. This is because many medications can cause dry
mouth, including those for high blood pressure and even allergies. In addition, our salivary
glands may not produce as much saliva as we age, leading to a sticky feeling in our mouths.

This is why it’s essential to stay hydrated as we get older. We can do this by being aware of our
caffeine consumption—drinks such as coffee, tea, and cola can cause us to become dehydrated.

Alcohol can also severely dry out the mouth, although it doesn’t contain caffeine.
The most important thing you can do is drink more water. Sipping on water throughout the day
can prevent dry mouth and dehydration. If dry mouth is a chronic problem for you despite your
daily fluid intake, talk with your doctor as you may need to switch medications or there may be
another health issue to blame.

Schedule Regular Checkups

Regular checkups with your dentist can prevent a host of oral health problems. Your dentist is
specially trained to spot cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer early. By keeping your dental
appointments every 6-12 months, you can prevent many oral health problems.

Since everyone is different, your dentist may suggest you come more or less often. If your teeth
and gums are in excellent shape and have been for a while, a yearly visit may suffice. However,
if your teeth are prone to problems or if you smoke, your dentist may recommend coming more
often.

Eat Well

Eating well is important to everyone’s oral health, not just seniors. By saying no to refined
flours and starches such as white bread and potato chips and simple sugars such as baked
goods, we can help our smiles to be healthier.

Important foods to focus on include healthy fats such as those found in nuts, oils, and
avocadoes, as well as lean protein and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. By eating the right
foods, seniors can reduce their risk of tooth decay as they age!

Brush and Floss

Of course, continuing to care for your teeth as you age is essential. With Americans losing an
average of 12 teeth by age 50 and 26% of Americans losing all their teeth by age 74, it’s more
important than ever to care for your smile.

You can do this by daily brushing and flossing to remove plaque and bacteria to keep your smile
strong and healthy. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush can help you be as gentle as possible with
your smile while still keeping it clean. Your dentist can supplement your care routine to create a
healthy smile!

As we age, it’s important to take care of ourselves. The oral cavity is no exception, requiring
some additional care as we age. By staying hydrated, visiting your dentist, and employing
regular care habits such as brushing and flossing, you can enjoy a beautiful smile well into old
age!

The post Top Oral Care Tips for Seniors appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

So what’s the truth about what happens to our teeth as we age—do they get weaker and more brittle, or can we expect them to stay the same? The truth is something of a mix of the two, so read on to find out what you can expect for your pearly whites in the years ahead.

Your Teeth Can and Should Remain Strong

Your teeth are designed to last a lifetime. Although teeth can be damaged and weakened by many factors including diet, physical health, teeth grinding, tooth decay, and gum disease, your teeth themselves should not get weaker or brittle as you age unless you have an underlying health problem.

Some research suggests that dentin—the softer part of your tooth just under the enamel—grows weaker with age in some people. The protective layer over your dentin, the enamel, should remain strong throughout your life provided that you’re healthy and taking the proper care of your teeth.

Our Habits Can Damage Our Teeth

Our teeth can grow weaker and more brittle as we age if we engage in harmful habits that can damage them. These habits include:

 Having a poor diet. Not getting the right kinds of nutrients—including calcium and
vitamin D—can weaken your smile, especially in postmenopausal women.

 Grinding your teeth. Teeth grinding can severely weaken teeth, irritate the gum tissue,
and even lead to tooth loss.

 Not visiting the dentist. Plaque and tartar can accumulate to make your smile weaker as you age, especially if you’ve been skipping the dentist for years.

 Using teeth as tools. Your teeth are meant to chew food, not to open packages, crack
nuts, or chew on ice. All these practices can fracture and weaken teeth.

You have the resources to help your teeth remain strong and healthy for life, so take advantage of them!

Physical Health Is Connected to Dental Health

A growing body of research is pointing to the link between bodily health and oral health. For instance, tooth decay and gum disease have been linked to heart disease. Mothers who have gum disease are more likely to give birth to children who are underweight. The oral cavity is proving to be a compass for how healthy the body is, proving to people everywhere that a healthy mouth may just help you have a healthy body.

If you have a physical disease that includes a compromised immune system, this can increase your risk for oral health problems such as gum disease. If you have a mineral deficiency in which your body cannot properly absorb nutrients, this is likely impacting your oral health. You can talk with your dentist or doctor about how your physical health could be impacting your smile.

Taking care of our teeth is so important. Your teeth have the potential to be healthy and strong for your entire life, but you have to take good care of them. Make an appointment with your dentist today to discover just how beautiful and healthy your smile can be—for life!

The post Do Teeth Get Weaker and More Brittle with Age? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Gum Disease

Your risk for getting gum disease increases as you age. This is why it’s so important to check in with your dentist. While you may not necessarily notice the signs of gum disease, your dentist will. If you notice bleeding while brushing, sensitive teeth, or red gums, it’s time to visit your dentist because you could be seeing signs of gum disease. Know that your age is a risk factor for getting gum disease!

Dry Mouth

Our teeth and gums need saliva to stay healthy. Not only does saliva help prevent bad breath and enamel erosion, it also helps balance oral bacteria that can lead to cavities. If you’re on medication, one of the side effects you may be experiencing is dry mouth. Many different types of medications can cause dry mouth, from high blood pressure medications to even depression and anxiety medications.

When you have dry mouth, your body isn’t producing enough saliva to protect your teeth. This can lead to enamel erosion and cavities. Since dry mouth increases your cavity risk, it’s imperative to address this symptom with your dentist or doctor. You may consider switching medications or just sipping on water more often throughout the day!

Tooth Loss

Losing teeth is not a natural consequence of aging. However, if you’re experiencing gum disease, tooth decay, or even dry mouth, you do have an increased risk for tooth loss as you age. Older adults are also at risk for bone loss, including osteoporosis. Staying active and getting enough calcium and vitamin D are essential to keeping teeth and bones healthy and strong.

If you do lose a tooth, it’s imperative to replace it. Talk with your dentist about your options for missing teeth, which can help prevent further bone and tooth loss!

Oral Cancer

Although oral cancer can affect anyone, two-thirds of people who have oral cancer are over the age of 55. In fact, people often aren’t diagnosed with oral cancer until they’re 62. This means that older adults have an increased risk of developing oral cancer. Luckily, your dentist can perform an oral cancer screening at your next checkup. This simple screening involves checking your mouth, face, and neck for any unusual lumps or appearances. Early detection can increase your chances of a successful treatment!

Getting older doesn’t have to mean that your oral health declines. However, by being aware of these oral health problems among older adults, you can know your risk for developing gum disease, oral cancer, and having dry mouth or experiencing tooth loss. Getting regular checkups can help prevent and manage many of these problems. Age gracefully and smile big well into your senior years!

The post Which Oral Health Concerns Should You Watch for as You Age? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Teeth Don’t Weaken on Their Own

Your teeth are incredibly strong little things—they aren’t meant to weaken as we age, but they can if we don’t take good care of them. What these means is that if you grind your teeth, chew on inedible objects such as ice or pencils, and have a poor diet lacking in nutrients or high in refined sugar, your teeth can eventually get worn down and weaken.

Grinding as well as chewing on inedible objects can cause unnecessary wear and could even cause you to fracture your teeth or lead to overly sensitive teeth as a result of damaged enamel. Your enamel—the hard protective shiny layer over your teeth—is vitally important. Loss of enamel is irreversible and can cause extremely sensitive teeth, root damage, and even loss of teeth.

Keep Bacteria at Bay

You have both good and bad bacteria in your mouth, and the bad bacteria is what causes plaque to form and eventually build up if you don’t brush regularly or have poor brushing habits. There are many things that can upset the balance of good and bad bacteria, such as dry mouth, eating too many sweets, and not brushing or flossing. When the bad bacteria take over, problems arise.

This is usually when dentists see gingivitis, or, the beginning stages of periodontal disease. This disease causes bad bacteria to take over your mouth and severely impact your teeth and their roots. Signs of gum disease include bleeding gums, chronic bad breath, or even loose teeth. Bacteria causes infections, which is why it’s important to keep your teeth clean and brush a minimum of once a day.

Stay Hydrated

One of the biggest things that can affect our oral health as we age is dry mouth. Did you know that as you age, you’re more likely to be dehydrated? This is because you may not feel as thirsty and your body doesn’t conserve water like it used to. In other words, you don’t realize that you’re dehydrated because you may not feel thirsty.

Older adults are also more likely to be on different medications—and many medications can cause dry mouth. Saliva protects your teeth, and when it’s absent, this leaves room for the bad bacteria to take over and cause problems like gum disease and tooth decay. Which is not something you want to be dealing with during your retirement years!

Your dentist can help you take the best care of your teeth as you age. By eating healthy, brushing, not smoking, flossing, and addressing dry mouth, you can ensure your teeth stay healthy for life. Also remember that teeth grinding and chewing on non-food items is more damaging to your teeth than you think!

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Turns out, no age is too old for dental implants! If you’re in good health and have the proper bone needed in your jaw to support the implant, you’re good to go. This means having a fully formed jaw, so young patients may be at a disadvantage rather than older ones. Ideal patients for dental implants have healthy gums that are free of disease, as well as patients who will take care of their teeth by adequately brushing and flossing. Also, you’ll need to be in good general health to be considered a good candidate for dental implants.

Are You Healthy?

Other factors to consider in addition to your age when getting dental implants are your general health and your mouth health. For example, people who smoke or have an illness such as cancer where radiation is being done to the head and neck area may not be ideal candidates for dental implants and your dentist may suggest an alternative route. Diabetes that is going untreated is also a risk factor for your body rejecting dental implants, as your gums may not be healthy. Being healthy and of the appropriate age make dental implants a good choice for some patients.

The Young

Old age is actually not a problem when it comes to dental implants, as many patients get implants well into their 90s and still do great! The young, however, not so much. Your jaw needs to be fully developed in order to successfully integrate dental implants into your mouth. As men and women mature differently, the age tends to be younger for girls to get dental implants than boys. Anywhere around age 18 is a safe bet for dental implants to be considered, but keep in mind these other factors too. The question may not be are you too old, but are you too young?

If your mouth isn’t healthy or you have another condition that affects your body, your mouth is more likely to have issues with the dental implants such as rejection or infection. While the implants are generally made with titanium that is safe and tends not to be rejected by the body, you’ll still need to keep these other factors in mind when discussing the option of dental implants with your doctor. But remember—you’re never too old for dental implants!

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As the body ages, teeth become brittle and saliva production is reduced. When the teeth become brittle, they are more likely to crack or to chip. This exposes the teeth to bacteria which cause ultimately lead to decay. The decrease in saliva production can be caused by both aging and by use of different medications. In turn, reduced saliva production causes dry mouth which can also contribute to tooth decay. Saliva is imperative to oral health as it washes remaining food away, helping to reduce the amount of harmful bacteria and eliminating the damaging acids that these bacteria produce. Saliva also helps to rebuild enamel and keep teeth healthy. Checking medications for symptoms of dry mouth is crucial to taking preventative and necessary action against the decrease in saliva production. You may also wish to use dry mouth products that stimulate saliva production, which are easily accessible over-the-counter.

Some health conditions that may affect people as they get older can also increase the risk of tooth problems and gum disease. For example, people who are living with type 2 diabetes are less resistant to infection, making them more susceptible to oral health problems than people without diabetes. This includes gum diseases such as gingivitis. If left untreated, gingivitis can result in periodontitis which is a more serious chronic bacterial infection. If you have certain illnesses, it is important to discuss proper treatment with your doctor to prevent side effects within the mouth.

Checking medications, avoiding things that would increase mouth dryness, and practicing good oral hygiene habits is incredibly important to maintaining excellent dental health as we age. Drinking tap water or water that contains fluoride, avoiding sugary  and acidic foods, and limiting the consumption of sweet snacks and drinks helps to keep enamel healthy and strong. Furthermore, regular dentist visits as well as flossing and brushing twice daily are the keys to keeping your smile bright and radiant. Aging does not mean letting your dental routine fall to the wayside; in fact, it is more important than ever to make sure your routine incorporates all necessary steps to a better you.

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