Appropriate Care For Ageing Teeth And Gums

Good oral health can be preserved with the correct long-term care….

Many of us are born with the opportunity to have strong and healthy teeth for very many years. Apart from accidents which we have no control over, any deterioration is usually due to our own eating and drinking habits along with neglect in correct cleaning. How well we look after them may depend on how we are taught as children, as many habits that we carry into our adult years are established then.

If you are fortunate enough to have been taught well and have maintained good oral health habits throughout your life, you may well arrive at your more mature years with teeth and gums in very good health. Unfortunately, this will not be the case for everyone, but prior neglect does not mean that you can’t turn things around to some degree with better home care and help from the dentists at the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre.

Where to start?

The most basic thing that you can do, but which is essential to restore your teeth and gums, is to make sure that you have a good quality toothbrush that isn’t worn out, together with the use of dental floss. These are the very bedrock of good oral health care and using them appropriately is an excellent place to start.

You should also try to stop smoking if you currently do. This not only increase the risk of serious health issues like oral cancer, but quite commonly also increases the likelihood of gum disease too.

Finally, if you don’t currently have an appointment booked to see both the dentist and the hygienist at our Epsom dental clinic, you should make one as soon as you can. Ongoing monitoring of your teeth and gums, along with a thorough cleaning by the hygienist are great ways to start to reverse any oral health issues you might have.

‘Mature’ oral health issues and how to address them

Problems such as tooth decay and gum disease can strike at almost any age, but there are reasons why they might become more common as we grow older. One obvious reason is simply the years of wear and tear on our teeth as we use them daily to chew and grind our food. It is almost inevitable that there will be some wearing down of the enamel over time, although this can certainly be reduced by looking after your teeth well. Gum disease is also more common as we tend to produce less saliva as we become older. This not only means that we don’t flush away bacteria and food debris as efficiently, but often we also have a drier mouth which allows bacteria to multiply more effectively. This can lead to an increased risk of gum disease with its symptoms which may include bad breath, sore gums and even receding gums.

Treatments

If we accept that it is likely that we will have more oral problems as we become older, we should also take a look at some of the treatments that we can offer at our Epsom clinic, to help to restore any damage done.

Gum disease

Gum disease may be less easy to control as we get older but with care, it can be relatively straightforward. Not only should you look to improve your own oral care at home, but should also make sure to see our hygienist. They will be able to discuss ways that you can help yourself have a healthier mouth and will also perform a ‘scale and polish’ procedure which will help to remove hardened bacteria and minerals from the teeth and gum line. You should have this done every six months and possibly more frequently in some situations.

Worn teeth

If your teeth have become worn, there are a couple of treatments that can help. Depending on the nature of the erosion, either a crown can be added, or, especially where the front teeth are worn, porcelain veneers may be used to restore the affected teeth. We will need to examine the teeth in question before making an appropriate decision about the treatment required.

Decaying, broken or damaged teeth

Most damage to teeth occurs either through tooth decay, chipping or breakage. Fillings may be an option here and you can take advantage of our tooth coloured fillings for a better aesthetic appeal. Where damage is more significant, adding a crown will not only restore the appearance of the tooth, but give it additional strength too.

Missing teeth

As we get older, the chances of losing a tooth are two become much higher and traditionally, people may have decided to either leave the gap or to have dentures. Neither of these are ideal for reasons we have discussed in previous blogs. Dental implants are becoming more popular with our older patients, not only because they look natural, but many of those who have had them fitted find that it puts the joy back into eating with no fear that their new replacement teeth will either move around in the mouth or fall out.

If you are entering your mature years and would like to see how we can help you restore your teeth, and perhaps improve their appearance too, why not give us a call and arrange an initial consultation where we can discuss your options? You can call the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre on 01372 720136 and our friendly team will be pleased to assist.