The Effects Of Ageing On Our Teeth And Gums
From an oral health perspective, what might we expect as we get older?
Let us suppose that we have just arrived at our early middle age; let’s say 40 for the sake of argument. We have largely looked after our teeth well, with good cleaning, using floss and having regular dental check ups. Some of us may have escaped fillings altogether, while some may have one or two of them, perhaps due to eating too many sweets when younger. By and large though, we are fairly happy with the health of our teeth even if we have noticed they aren’t as white as they used to be.
When we approach this age, while it can be tempting to look back, the reality is that we will start to grow older. This does mean some inevitable changes in our body and this includes the oral cavity area too. In today’s blog then, we are going to take a look at what our Canterbury patients can look forward to from a dental perspective as they become older, along with some solutions to make the best of these years.
Early middle age
Some of the things listed below might occur earlier in people who have not looked after their teeth as well, but becoming older means that these are now more likely. These include the following:
Receding gums – A number of things can cause our gums to recede. This includes gum disease which can occur at any age, but as our saliva production tends to slow down as we become older, this may start to become more likely. Good gum maintenance and visits to the hygienist at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic in Canterbury should help to hold this at bay.
Enamel wear – Even with the best care in the world, our teeth go through a lot of stress and pressure through years of use. Once we reach middle age, more wear and tear is likely and you may need to have some restorative work done on them to protect them. Dental veneers are sometimes used for this purpose, as is cosmetic bonding.
Old restorations failing – Fillings and crowns that have been placed some time ago might be coming to the end of their natural life and you may need to have them replaced. In the case of fillings; if you have older amalgam ones, you might wish to talk to the dentist about having these replaced with natural looking fillings, made in the shade of the tooth that is being filled so that it is almost invisible.
Teeth becoming crooked – One thing that happens as we age is that bone loss occurs. This not only happens in our legs and arms but in the jaw too. This might be minimal loss but it can change the shape of the jaw fractionally, but enough to cause some movement of the teeth. Orthodontic treatment may be an option if this happens to you.
Later middle age
All of the above and other issues too can be added when we reach this age. It is just a fact of life and it is surely better to look to see what you can do to make the best of your remaining years than to pine for lost youth that will never return. The following are some of the new things that might happen during this period.
Dry mouth – The likelihood of this occurring increases as we become older and especially when more medications are needed. Some, such as for blood pressure, are more common at this stage of our life and are known to have this side effect. Make sure to drink more water as you get older to counter this and help reduce the risk of periodontal diseases.
Tooth loss – Whether through wear and tear, bone loss or just bad luck, tooth loss is more likely at this age. While dentures have often been seen as the obvious tooth replacement method, especially in older people, we are finding that dental implants for older patients are becoming more popular. This is probably due to the fact that they make eating easier; something that is important for our health as we age.
Difficulties in cleaning teeth – One thing which can speed up deterioration of our oral health as we get older are conditions such as arthritis, which makes brushing and flossing your teeth more difficult and possibly even painful too. Because of this, neglect is more common at this age. We recommend that you use an electric toothbrush which will do much of the work for you, and if you struggle to floss, please talk to your local Canterbury dentist about this for advice.
The later years
Again, you can probably expect more of the same as problems such as arthritis become more likely. In addition to this, more serious issues such as oral cancers become more likely in those who have smoked for a significant period of their life. Medications for illnesses that occur more as we become older are more common, along with their side effects too.
All is not lost though and you can continue to enjoy life and even eat the foods that you want to eat with some help from our professional and experienced dental team. Regular checkups and hygienist visits can help you to avoid, or at least postpone, the onset of many of these issues and help you have a more enjoyable later life.
While nostalgia might be more common as we approach this stage of our life, it is important to keep looking forward too and we are here to help you with that. If you are approaching middle age or are any age beyond that, why not contact us today to see how we can help. You can do this by calling Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic today on 01227 463529.