Many changes occur in your body as you age, including those affecting your dental health. Your risk of severe dental conditions also increases with age. Your body is not as strong as it was when you were younger, and is not able to fight ailments as effectively as it did. However, this does not mean that you cannot enjoy good oral health in old age. If you take good care of your teeth, they can remain strong, beautiful, and healthy for a lifetime. You can achieve this with the guidance of a competent dentist.
Aging and Dental Health
Things within and outside your body change a lot as you age. Medical experts recommend being mindful of all the changes in your body, so you can take the necessary precautions before one or more areas of your health deteriorate. Your dental health is one area to which you must pay special attention as you age. The common belief that your teeth become weak and start falling when you attain a certain age is not accurate. The truth is that you can have strong, healthy, and beautiful teeth at any age if you take good care of them in your old age.
As you age, your body, including your mouth, changes. The most noticeable change in your mouth is the shrinking of the pulp, or the underlying vessels, blood supplies, and nerves beneath the teeth. The shrinkage affects your teeth’s sensitivity to dental issues like cavities, putting you at risk of severe dental conditions. Therefore, you must make a greater effort to maintain proper oral hygiene habits and schedule regular visits to the dentist’s office to reduce this risk.
Problematic gums and teeth are not as hurtful in old age as they were when you were younger. Thus, a problem can go unnoticed for a very long time, until it affects more of your teeth or gums, and is expensive or challenging to treat. This explains the misconception that losing teeth is inevitable in old age. However, this does not have to be the case. If you work closely with a dentist and practice good oral hygiene habits, your teeth can remain healthy and strong. During regular checkups, your dentist can diagnose and treat dental or oral problems at their earliest stage, before they escalate into more significant issues.
Ways in Which Aging Affects Oral Health
Remember that your risk of dental and oral problems is higher at specific points in your life, including during old age. Your immune system is not as strong as it was when you were younger. Your ability to maintain good oral hygiene also tends to decline as you age. Understanding how your oral and dental health can deteriorate with age prepares you for the inevitable, equipping you with valuable information that can help you make informed decisions for optimal oral health. Here are some of the dental changes you could experience with age:
- Your enamel starts to thin or wear down, exposing the dentin. This may change your teeth’s appearance and increase your risk of intrinsic stains and cavities.
- You may experience gum recession, where your gums pull back from your teeth, exposing more of them and creating traps for harmful bacteria. This can lead to gum disease and, ultimately, tooth loss.
- You may experience a dry mouth or serostomia due to reduced saliva, especially if you are taking certain medications, such as antidepressants and blood pressure medications. This affects your mouth’s ability to clean itself, increasing your risk of cavities and gum disease. A dry mouth also creates a conducive environment for the harmful bacteria to thrive.
- The normal wear and tear on your teeth after prolonged use is likely, making them more susceptible to chipping and breakage over time. This can also happen if you have or had bruxism, or the habit of grinding teeth. If a chip or breakage in your teeth goes untreated, it could result in cavities or tooth loss.
- Loss of jawbone density may happen, causing your teeth to shift from their proper position in the gums. This may affect your bite, cause visible changes in tooth alignment, and increase your risk of severe conditions, such as TMJ disorders.
The Essence of Dental Health Care for Seniors
Although it does not happen to all people, dental problems are likely to occur as you age. Your risk of cavities, periodontal disease, and a dry mouth is higher. They may also affect your general health. In that case, you must take good care of your teeth, gums, and jawbone to protect your oral and general health. Taking good care of your teeth is as important as caring for the other parts of your body, including your heart and digestive system. Here are some of the reasons why this is critical:
To Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
There is a close connection between gum disease and heart disease. Gum disease, also known as periodontitis, is a dental condition that primarily affects the gums and surrounding tissues. It starts with inflammation, caused by harmful oral bacteria. It occurs when harmful bacteria combine with food debris in the mouth, causing an acidic reaction that leads to the buildup of plaque on the gums. The buildup eventually causes inflammation in the gums, which results in gum recession as the inflammation spreads to the surrounding gum tissue.
What starts mildly as gingivitis escalates into periodontitis, causing an oral infection that can spread to other parts of the body. Through gum disease, harmful oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream, leading to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque and the development of clogged arteries. This increases your risk of stroke and heart attack. The chronic inflammation from untreated gum disease also triggers other responses that affect your blood vessels. When the harmful bacteria that penetrate your gum pockets travel to your heart through the bloodstream, you could experience serious cardiovascular issues like hardened arteries.
Maintaining excellent oral hygiene can significantly help prevent heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. As you continue brushing and flossing your teeth, ensure you maintain regular visits to the dentist’s office. They will keep you informed about your oral health, provide helpful tips to prevent gum disease, and treat any issues they diagnose before they escalate into a significant oral problem.
To Reduce Your Risk of Pneumonia
Untreated oral conditions, such as gum disease or cavities, also increase the risk of pneumonia in adults. When harmful bacteria are left to thrive in the mouth due to poor oral hygiene habits, you could breathe in the bacteria droplets from your mouth to the lungs, which may cause pneumonia. This is particularly common among seniors due to their increased risk of gum disease and cavities. Remember that your sensitivity to dental pain and discomfort decreases with age, as the pulp shrinks. If your teeth are not examined regularly by a dentist, gum disease and cavities can escalate quickly, putting you at risk of such severe conditions as pneumonia.
Good oral health is essential for seniors. Dentists recommend paying even more attention to your teeth and gums than you did when you were younger. This is particularly important for seniors in nursing homes or under home care. This is because they depend on others to care for their teeth when they are unable to care for themselves.
To Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes
Your risk of diabetes is also higher when you fail to take good care of your teeth. The chronic inflammation that happens when gum disease goes untreated can worsen insulin resistance or blood sugar control. Gum disease releases inflammatory chemicals into the bloodstream, which makes your body’s cells insulin-resistant. Additionally, bacteria in your mouth, notably when you have severe cavities or gum disease, can cause bacterial invasion in the bloodstream, which may spread to critical organs, such as the pancreas. When this happens, your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar is affected.
Thus, your risk of developing diabetes in old age also increases due to elevated blood sugars resulting from impaired insulin function or increased insulin resistance. Good oral hygiene habits can significantly reduce this risk.
To Prevent Darkening of Teeth
Your teeth’s appearance will likely change with age because of normal wear and tear, especially of the enamel. Although the enamel is the strongest element in the mouth, it does not remain the same after years of use. Normal wear and tear exposes the underlying layer, the dentin, which is susceptible to staining. Dentin is also yellowish, unlike the white enamel. Once it starts staining, the general appearance of your teeth changes, and it can worsen if you do not take action.
Your dentist can recommend increasing your intake of mineral-rich foods to help remineralize and strengthen your enamel against wear and tear. They may also recommend more effective toothpastes and brushing techniques that will help you fight against teeth staining. Regular teeth cleaning can also help reduce tooth staining. If necessary, your dentist can recommend teeth whitening to improve your teeth’s appearance and boost your confidence.
How To Improve Dental Health in Old Age
Brushing twice daily and flossing every day are the most recommended habits for good oral hygiene; however, they are not a sureproof way to protect your teeth from cavities and gum disease. You must combine these habits with other dental care practices, such as professional teeth cleaning and regular dental checkups, to maintain good oral health for life. A lot more is needed from you as you age to lower your risk of the conditions mentioned, like diabetes and heart disease, which are associated with poor oral hygiene. Here are some valuable tips for maintaining good dental health in old age:
Brushing and Flossing Daily
Remember that brushing twice daily and flossing are the most recommended practices for maintaining good oral health. Brushing cleans your mouth of all dirt, debris, and stuck food that can encourage the growth of harmful bacteria. Flossing focuses on the stuck food between your teeth. These habits are more effective when you use the right products, including a soft-bristle toothbrush and a fluoride-based toothpaste. Fluoride strengthens the enamel, protecting your teeth from damage by harmful bacteria.
An electric toothbrush is recommended for seniors because it requires less effort to clean teeth effectively. Additionally, it has superior capabilities for removing plaque and tartar buildup. It is also gentle on the gums, ensuring that your gums remain healthy.
Rinsing with a Fluoride-Based Mouthwash
Rinsing your mouth helps flush out food and drink that remain in your mouth after eating. Remember that these encourage bacterial growth in the mouth, which leads to cavities and gum disease. Dentists recommend using a fluoride-based mouthwash once or twice daily to maintain a clean mouth. The fluoride will also benefit the enamel, keeping it strong and less susceptible to damage or tooth decay.
Cleaning Dentures
If you wear dentures, they can easily trap food and drinks, making your mouth a conducive environment for harmful bacteria. Dentists recommend cleaning them daily to remove any trapped food and refreshing them for fresh breath. Dentists also recommend removing dentures at night while sleeping and wearing them again in the morning.
Quit Harmful Habits
Some harmful habits, like smoking, affect your oral and general health. The effect can be more pronounced in old age, when your immune system is not as robust as it once was. Your dentist will recommend quitting such habits, especially the use of tobacco and tobacco products, to maintain the strength and health of your teeth and gums.
Smoking increases your risk of gum disease, cavities, and oral cancer. It also puts you at risk of other types of cancers, such as lung cancer.
Go For Regular Checkups
You can benefit a lot more from regular dental checkups at an older age than when younger. This is because your sensitivity to toothache reduces as you become older. This means you can easily develop a cavity and not notice it until it escalates into a major dental problem. Regular dental checkups ensure that such issues are addressed before they escalate and impact your oral and overall health.
Find an Advanced Dentist Near Me
As you age, taking care of your teeth, gums, and jawbone becomes even more necessary to maintain healthy, strong, and functional teeth in old age. Unlike what many people believe, you do not have to lose teeth in old age. Your teeth can remain strong and beautiful for a lifetime, but you must take good care of them to maintain this. This means brushing twice daily, flossing, eating healthy meals, quitting dangerous habits like teeth grinding and smoking, and seeing your dentist regularly.
We can walk this journey with you at Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry. We offer comprehensive dental care services for the entire family, tailoring treatments to meet your specific needs. Call us at 310-361-2080 to learn more about aging and dental care.
