Ways that Aging Impacts your Dental Care

We all need to accept the aging process, but you don’t need to accept the way it affects your teeth. Discover how dental care experts say you can keep your smile healthy.

The Serious Effects of Tooth Loss

Many older adults do retain all of their natural teeth, but for other senior citizens, one of the greatest threats to aging teeth is often tooth loss. This can make it difficult to chew and swallow food, which can prevent older adults from getting their needed nutrients. When you do lose your teeth, the jawbones that secured those aging teeth start to waste away. One popular solution is getting dentures, which can preserve your dental structure while enhancing your appearance and confidence.

The Many Causes of Diminished Taste

Have you noticed that many foods don’t taste the same as you get older? Don’t blame the food because the problem lies in your taste buds. See, age tends to make the taste buds less sensitive, which makes foods seem to lose their flavor. Many people compensate by adding lots of spicy seasonings or very hot sauces, but this only presents more dental care issues by irritating your gums. Surprisingly, many disorders can directly affect your sense of taste, such as sinus infections, gum disease, mouth cancer, and kidney disease. And some medications can also dull your taste buds. If you face this issue, talk to your family dentist about how to handle the problem or ask your doctor if switching medications could help.

The Plague of Dry Mouth

Just as certain medications may dull your sense of taste, they can also cause dry mouth. When you don’t have sufficient saliva in your mouth, your gums can thin and begin to recede, which can increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Your family dentist in South Bend should be able to suggest ways to deal with a dry mouth. You may also want to talk to your doctor about possibly changing your medications.

The Creeping Threat of Gum Disease

As we age, tooth enamel starts to diminish from wear-and-tear, making aging teeth more susceptible to the decay that leads to gum disease. This serious dental care condition is more often seen in individuals who have poor oral hygiene or certain medical disorders, as well as in those who smoke. Because gum disease can lead to severe infections and tooth loss, you should adhere to the advice of your family dentist on treatment and healthy hygiene

To get the dental care you deserve from an affordable dentist in South Bend, call The Dental Center of Indiana today or make an appointment.