As you or your family begin to age, oral care may become more difficult, and more oral diseases become more common. Age, in itself, is not necessarily a factor when it comes to poor oral care, but arthritis and other conditions that are associated with age can make certain aspects of oral care more difficult.
Also, the likelihood that someone is taking a larger number of medications goes up with age. Medicine adds another aspect of oral health when it comes to side effects such as dry mouth.
We want to consider some of the risks associated with age and oral health as well as things you can do to improve your oral health as you age.
Oral health may change as you get older and many of these things you or your loved ones may already be experiencing depending on your circumstances:
Darkened Teeth – This comes along with a lifetime of drinking staining liquids such as coffee, soda, and tea. This can also be caused by a thinning of your tooth’s enamel over time showing the dentin underneath.
Dry Mouth – Dry mouth is extremely common in people as they age. Either as a natural side effect of aging as well as due to the fact that dry mouth is a common side effect of medicines. Dry mouth spells serious trouble for teeth as the first defense against decay is saliva.
Some things you may be able to do to protect your teeth is to always make sure that you drink water or rinse your mouth out after eating or drinking anything with staining capabilities or sugar. If you want to protect your permanent teeth, then keeping up a good oral care routine is vital even later in life. Brushing teeth may become more difficult, so supplementing it with frequent rinsing using water and mouthwash is important.