It might be impossible to turn back the clock, and it frequently seems as if time speeds up with age, and it does affect your dental health. Protecting your oral health is possibly even more important as the years pass by because it will help to protect your general health. Poor oral health has been linked to serious health problems including diabetes and heart disease. Lots of people are living longer these days, and you want to make sure you can enjoy your hard-earned retirement to the full!
West Bowmanville Family Dental is a family-oriented clinic, and we welcome people of all ages! Our dentists have lots of experience in helping people retain optimal oral health, we hope for life. Every person visiting our dentist in Bowmanville receives a personalized preventative dental care plan, based on your current dental health and it is essential we know your medical history too. Common issues facing older people include tooth decay and gum disease, and ordinary wear and tear on teeth. Sometime medications prescribed for health conditions could affect your oral health.
Medicines and Their Effect on Your Dental Health
One common side effect of prescription medications is dry mouth or xerostomia, where you are less able to produce enough saliva to keep your mouth clean, comfortable and fresh. Without saliva, your risk of gum disease, tooth decay and dental infections increases. If you wear dentures or other dental appliances, these may become less comfortable. Another potential side effect is difficulty in chewing food or noticing your breath is less than fresh.
If you do have dry mouth, our Newcastle dentist can help you by adjusting your treatment plan to help prevent dental disease. One thing that can be useful is to have more frequent professional dental cleanings because the cleaner your mouth remains, the lower the risk of developing dental problems. It’s also possible to prescribe artificial saliva or you can buy this over-the-counter. Other things that can be useful include drinking plenty of water, sucking sugar-free candy or chewing sugar-free gum. It may be worth discussing the problem with your GP just in case they can prescribe something slightly different, but please remember you should always talk to them first before discontinuing or adjusting any medications on your own.
General Wear and Tear on Teeth
Your teeth work hard every day, so it’s inevitable they may begin to show some signs of wear and tear. Also, as you get older, your tooth enamel gradually becomes thinner because of exposure to acid in the mouth. It’s the reason why older teeth tend to look darker than younger teeth because the thinner enamel exposes the natural colour of the tooth contained in the dentin just underneath tooth enamel. Once tooth enamel is eroded, there is little you can do to reverse the process, but there’s plenty of things that can help it from worsening. One thing that can be useful is to look at your eating habits and try to include sugary or acidic foods as part of a main meal.
Regular dental checkups in Clarington are hugely beneficial, ensuring any minor chips or cracks in your teeth are detected and mended promptly, and that fillings are replaced as necessary. Also, any teeth that are badly worn down can be repaired, either by bonding the tooth with coloured composite resin or covering it up entirely with a beautiful dental crown. You may not be able to turn back the clock, but with the right preventative dental care, we can ensure you enjoy a healthy and attractive smile, hopefully for life.
