Although oral health statistics can be very discouraging as you age, the good news is that when it comes to your smile, there’s no such thing as inevitable. In fact, even if you’re already in your golden years, there’s still plenty you can do to protect your teeth and gums, so your smile lasts a lifetime. Here are six important ways you can maintain your oral health as a senior!
Maintain Your Hygiene
Although an estimated one third of all seniors over 65 are missing at least one tooth, it is still important to keep your mouth clean, even if you have no natural ones remaining. By brushing, flossing, and keeping any prosthetics in good condition, you can avoid further tooth loss and gum disease as well as make any restorations like dentures, partial dentures, and dental implants last much longer.
Supplement Missing Minerals
Osteoporosis strikes approximately 17 percent of people over the age of 65, and most of them are women. To remedy this, be sure to get plenty of calcium in your diet and speak to your doctor about taking a supplement to help keep teeth and bones healthy and strong. This will in turn lower your risk of permanent tooth loss and even dangerous jawbone deterioration that could result in even more missing teeth!
Cancel Harmful Habits
Smoking, vaping, and chewing tobacco are dangerous habits for your heart, body, and your smile. Not only will they increase your risk of dry mouth and gum disease, but they can all eventually rob you of your teeth and even portions of your jaw. While you may believe it’s too late to combat the effects of a lifetime of tobacco use, quitting can make amazing improvements in your health at any age. Thus, to reduce your risk of dental damage, heart disease, and cancer, kick these habits to the curb for good.
Close Gaps in Your Grin
As you get older, your risk of losing permanent teeth increases. However, many people think it’s fine to leave spots empty where back or hidden teeth once were. Unfortunately, this is not a good idea, as the longer your arches go without stimulation from tooth roots in those spots, the more your jawbone will deteriorate, which can cause a domino effect of even more permanent loss. Thus, don’t leave those unsightly spaces in your arches empty; talk to your dentist about closing the gaps with a dental bridge, partial denture, or dental implant.
Protect Your Prosthetics
Caring for your dentures may be the last thing you want to do before you hit the hay, but the truth is if you don’t take care of them, they can look, smell, and feel gross. Worse yet, they can wear out faster or lose their shape, requiring you to replace them sooner and may even encourage infections like gum disease, oral thrush, denture sores, and other painful and embarrassing mouth conditions! Thus, be sure to remove your dentures to clean them after eating and remove them to soak overnight, and if you wear dental implants or have a bridge, don’t forget to brush and floss those too!
Don’t Skip Your Visits
Finally, even if you have no remaining natural teeth, don’t skip your six-month visits to your dentist. During these appointments, your oral health team can check the condition of your smile, including your gums, prosthetics, restorations, and any permanent teeth. They will also screen you for oral cancer and help answer any questions or concerns about your gorgeous grin!
Remember, your senior years should be a time to relax and enjoy yourself, but don’t let your oral health be put to the wayside. Even if you’ve lost teeth over the years, your smile is still incredibly important at any age and keeping it looking and feeling its best will help you live your best life for years to come!
About Dr. Rowley
Dr. Nicholas Rowley earned his undergraduate degree at Florida State University and his dental doctorate at Nova Southeastern University. Passionate about continuing education, he has proudly taken hundreds of hours of classes since graduating and is an active member of a variety of prestigious dental organizations including the American Dental Association, the Florida Dental Association, the Central Florida District Dental Association, and the Brevard County Dental Society. To schedule a checkup and cleaning at Rowley Family Dentistry, visit our website or call us today at 321-723-1772.