Keeping Your Teeth Strong And Healthy In Later Life

Advice for our Canterbury patients who are progressing in years

When you are young and healthy; as long as you take good care of your teeth and don’t eat and drink too many tooth damaging foods and drinks, there is a good chance that your teeth will be strong and healthy with minimum intervention from a dentist. As the years pass though, you might find that you start to notice issues that you hadn’t before. In the same way that we tend to feel more aches and pains as we become older, we can also suffer from unexpected dental issues.

In today’s blog we take a look at what you can do to maintain healthy teeth and gums as you become older, and also the role that Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic can play, helping you with restorations and cosmetic improvements where required.

Wear and tear

The reality is that the longer we have our own teeth, the more wear and tear they will inevitably be subjected to. Even the best looked after teeth can suffer small amounts of damage such as a barely noticeable chip. As time goes by, these can add up and may affect the appearance and even the strength of the tooth, potentially causing it to become even more damaged after a while.

Although this may feel inevitable, it isn’t necessarily so and even if it were, there is still much that you can do to make sure it happens as late on in life as possible, keeping your own natural healthy teeth for longer. The best way to do this is to make sure that you have an efficient cleaning regime which includes the use of a brush that is in good condition and isn’t worn and that you also use dental floss on a daily basis. Doing this will help to keep the enamel strong and therefore help to prevent minor damage to your teeth.

Don’t forget your gums!

One common problem amongst older people is gum disease. It isn’t inevitable but you are more likely to suffer from it as your general ability to fight infections becomes weaker, in addition to the fact that older people produce less saliva which helps to maintain a healthy bacterial balance in the mouth. To help with this, you should brush and floss your teeth as already mentioned, but also try to make sure that you drink plenty of water, even if you don’t really feel like it. This will help to flush food and bacteria from your mouth as well as preventing it from becoming dry.

You should also see the hygienist at your local Canterbury dentist on a regular basis. This is usually every six months but as you get older, it may be advisable to make this more frequent.

How can we help?

There is much that we can do to help patients of all ages, but especially as we become older, we may need more general restorative treatment as our teeth weaken and crack or break perhaps more often. We may also decide that our teeth are no longer attractive and want to do something about it. We can help here too, with our range of cosmetic dental treatments that can transform the appearance of your teeth.

Restorations

As teeth chip, crack or break over time, we have a number of potential treatments that can restore them to a functional state again. The treatments required will vary but the following are some of the more common ones we are likely to use.

Fillings – The most common of all. More and more of our older patients are choosing to have our teeth coloured fillings instead of the darker traditional amalgam ones that have been used for many years. Not only are they strong but also leave the teeth looking more natural too.

Crowns – As teeth break and become more damaged, they may reach the point where a filling won’t be enough to restore a good level of strength and functionality. Crowns are an excellent solution here.

Dental implants – Although sometimes classed as a ‘cosmetic’ treatment, modern teeth implants are an excellent way of replacing missing teeth and avoiding the need for dentures. They also offer older people the opportunity to eat many foods that they might otherwise avoid if they wore dentures. This helps them to obtain better nutrition and equally importantly, enjoyment at mealtimes.

Cosmetic treatments

Two common cosmetic dental treatments that we provide for our older Canterbury patients are teeth whitening and veneers. Older teeth tend to discolour and become stained, and the use of either of these two procedures is an excellent way to restore the whiteness once more. You will need to have a consultation with a dentist to determine which is the most appropriate treatment to successfully put a smile back on your face.

If you are a ‘mature’ local resident and would like to see how we can help you restore your teeth, both practically and aesthetically, why not call us to arrange an initial consultation? You can do so by calling Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic  on 01227 463529 and our friendly team will be pleased to assist.