Visit Our Epsom Clinic For Total Dental Care For All The Family

From young to old, we are here to help you maintain healthy teeth and gums throughout your life

As we progress in years, the condition of our teeth and gums will inevitably change. In today’s blog we will take a look at different stages of life, how those oral health challenges arise and how we can help you manage them.

Babies

Babies typically have no visible teeth when they are born and it can be easy to think that they need no dental care at this age. Even though they are toothless for a while, you should still keep their gums clean by wiping them gently with a damp clean cloth or gauze, twice a day. This should be done from around the age of three months and  will help to keep their gums healthy ready for when their first teeth start to erupt.

Generally speaking, we recommend that parents bring their child to us for a first visit at around the age of one year old. Although it is very unlikely that any treatment will be needed, it will help accustom them to the sounds, smells and sights of a dental practice and may help them to feel more comfortable about seeing a dentist as they become older.

Young Children

We still have a lot of control over our children at this age and it is important that we make sure that they develop a good oral health regimen at this age as this will often remain with them throughout their life. As they will probably want to brush their teeth with you, it is also a good time to refresh your own approach and improve on it where possible. Make sure that you supervise your children while they brush their teeth until you are confident that they are doing it correctly and consistently and don’t be afraid to remind them.

Hopefully, by this age, you will be booking them regular appointments at our Epsom family dental clinic. Although they will eventually lose their baby teeth, it is important that this doesn’t happen prematurely as it can cause their adult teeth to erupt unevenly. A regular check up with us every six months is recommended.

Early teens

As our children develop, they become more independent and less easily managed. Whilst this is necessary for their development, it can be a very challenging time both for parents and for the child’s teeth and gums. We have less control over what they eat and even if we are careful with their diet, it is almost inevitable that they will eat a lot more sweets and chocolates as well as tooth damaging soft drinks. There might be little that we can do other than encourage them not to eat too many sugary foods, perhaps offering alternative ‘treats’ or ‘bribes’ if that works. At this age, it is very important to monitor their teeth cleaning and even though it may be difficult at times, make sure that they maintain their regular check ups.

Late teens and early adulthood

These can be challenging years and a time when they really do become independent. Hopefully, good habits that we have helped them form will continue throughout these years, helping them to maintain a healthy mouth. There are some real challenges at this age though and factors such as alcohol, cigarettes and even recreational drugs might come into play. These can all have a devastating impact on our teeth and gums which can stay with us throughout our life.

Other than encouragement, there is probably little that we can do to stop them in some cases. It is always worth ‘reminding’ them about appointments though as, at this age, life can be quite full and they may well forget – so it never hurts to remind them. This is also a time when our children will be looking to start dating and an attractive set of teeth can be really helpful here as everyone likes to see a nice smile. Once they arrive at their late teens, they may be able to have their teeth whitened to help them have a more attractive smile where appropriate.

Adults

Providing we have looked after our teeth well and had professional oral care monitoring regularly, most of us will hopefully have reasonably healthy teeth. By the time we reach this age though, some of us may regret not looking after our teeth as we should have done in our teenage years. Especially if you have skipped appointments in your teens, this is a good time to get your oral health back on track. Our friendly dentists can help to restore any teeth that have been affected by tooth decay or have suffered from cracks or breakages.

If you haven’t already done so, this is also a good time to make sure that you see a hygienist for regular scale and polishes. This should be carried out every six months and is a great way to give your oral health a real boost.

Middle age

Having hopefully established a regular oral care routine including check ups, there is a good chance that our teeth will be in good condition. This doesn’t mean that accidents won’t occur though and if you ever find yourself with a dental issue in between your check up appointments, please do contact us for advice. At this age, we might start to notice that our teeth are becoming discoloured. This is a natural occurrence caused by the inner part of our teeth darkening and showing through the translucent enamel.  We can help to restore the former whiteness of your teeth with our fast acting Zoom2 teeth whitening procedure which will whiten your teeth in around one hour.

For those with more significant staining, such as might be caused by prolonged smoking, we also offer porcelain veneers to help you have a great looking smile again!

Old age

Inevitably, as we grow older, our teeth will have undergone a lot of wear and tear and some of us are likely to face tooth loss at this time of our life. This doesn’t have to mean wearing dentures though, with the difficulty in eating that they can cause for some people. Dental implants are a great way to go to replace missing teeth and are the closest thing currently possible to natural teeth. With implants there will be no need to opt for softer foods to eat when you really fancy that tempting steak or sticky toffee. Teeth implants offer strength and stability and can make a big difference to your quality of life, including your confidence.

As we produce less saliva as we get older, gum disease is more likely to be a reality. In addition to making sure that we stay well hydrated, please make sure to see our hygienist who will help you keep your gums in good health and monitor for any problems.

Whatever age you are, the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre is here to help you have a healthy mouth, both through preventative and restorative dentistry. If you have any problems with your teeth and gums and would like help, please call our team on 01372 720136.