Oral Health Challenges During The Teenage Years

13 to 19 years old can be a particular challenging time for our oral health

We may, sometimes, romanticise our teenage years, forgetting some of the more negative things that happened to us during this time. There is no doubt that our lives change dramatically as teenagers and we discover many exciting things that stay with us from then on; but it can be a challenging time for us in many ways too.

One aspect of our teenage years that does present a challenge, but which we tend to think little of at the time, is the health of our teeth and gums.

Up until this time, we have largely been protected by our parents and our lives have revolved around what they do and say. As we get older though, we gain a degree of independence and the influence of our parents starts to slip away a little.

This is all part of the growing up process of course, but it can also mean that some aspects of our lives are put to one side. When this applies to teenage dental care (or lack of), it can have a long lasting negative effect on us for many years to come.

In today’s Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre blog, we will take a look at this issue through different phases of these years.

13 to 15 years old

This period tends to be a time when we gradually start to realise that we can be a little more independent. We start to become more established at our secondary schools, and are asked to take more responsibility for ourselves. Unfortunately, we sometimes choose only the things that we want to do and leave out the ‘boring’ ones such as the responsibility of maintaining good oral health care. This is a particularly challenging time as, in addition to not bothering to clean our teeth as often as we should, we are less challenged on what we eat by our parents, who may have restricted our sugar intake when we were younger.

As we become more financially independent, we may well spend our pocket money on sweets, high sugar drinks and the like. The intake of all of this increased sugar, combined with a worsening teeth cleaning regime, means that there is a distinctly higher chance of tooth decay during these years.

15 to 17 years old

Some of the previous section still applies during our mid teens. We are likely to continue with a high sugar diet and neglect our teeth more than we should. Having experienced the need for dental care following a toothache though, some will start to consider looking after their teeth better to avoid a repeat of this. It can be a ‘crazy’ period too when we tend not to think of ourselves as children and we may start to experiment with substances, including cigarettes and alcohol, that we shouldn’t. As readers will know from previous blogs, each of these on their own can be disastrous for our teeth and gums.

At this age, we are also likely to be more defiant of our parent’s instructions to keep regular oral care appointments, and skipping appointments at our Epsom dental clinic, combined with the aforementioned factors is likely to be very bad for our teeth, to say the least!

17 to 19 years old (and beyond)

Previous habits can continue into this latter phase of our teenage years, but it is also a time that we become more conscious of who we are and how others see us. Social media and the rise of ‘celebrity’ TV means that we are exposed to a lot of people who have fantastic looking smiles. Naturally, most of this is achieved with cosmetic dentistry; something which may not be immediately accessible at this age. It is worth remembering though that when you reach 18 and decide to have that teeth whitening procedure that you have wanted for a long time, you will discover that before any cosmetic treatment can be carried out, you will need to be treated for any oral health conditions that you have. This then, is a good time to really rethink your approach to looking after your teeth and gums and reinstate regular brushing and the addition of flossing so that any restorative treatment that is required should be minimal.

These years are often the ‘serious’ dating years, and our appearance and personal hygiene become more important than ever. Unfortunately a common problem for anyone who doesn’t look after their oral health is that of gum disease. Not only can this be unpleasant for you, but for others too. One symptom of gum disease, and especially periodontitis, the most advanced form, is that of bad breath. This is often a long way from the mild bad breath caused by foods that we eat and is caused by gases expelled by bacteria which can be foul smelling indeed.

So, when you move in for that kiss and the other person backs away, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t like you, but that you may have a bad case of halitosis. Hopefully, this won’t happen to you, but if it does, don’t simply try to mask it with breath fresheners and make an appointment to see a dentist at the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre as soon as you can.

Whether you are still a teenager or you have come out the other side with lingering teeth and gum problems, we are here to help you restore your teeth and mouth to good health. Both general and cosmetic treatments are available from 18 years upwards, so don’t despair if you have neglected your teeth, and make an appointment for a consultation with us to discuss how we can get you back on track. To make your appointment, please call our Epsom dental clinic on 01372 720136.