What Should I Expect with Aging and Oral Health?

Today’s topic was a question posed by one of our readers through my web site.  When considering aging and the health of our mouth, she said “I have just noticed the teeth of my older friends at church, educated people who typically take care of themselves.  They seem to have changed dramatically, and it has made me look at mine (teeth and oral health) with a different eye, to wonder how much and how quickly mine will change.”  The good news is our mouths don’t have to deteriorate with age.  It's a common myth that senior citizens are destined to lose their teeth, have numerous dental concerns or a smile you don’t want to see in pictures. There is no reason seniors cannot keep their teeth for a lifetime since tooth loss is simply the result of an oral disease--not the aging process.  I’ve seen senior citizens with the oral health of a youth and unfortunately I have seen youth with the oral health you might expect in a senior citizen.  Chronologic age has very little to do with our “dental age”. 

The elderly, who make up the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, are healthier and have kept more of their natural teeth than prior generations. But there's still room for improvement. More than half of all seniors do not visit a dentist even once a year -- one of the key preventive strategies in ensuring that teeth last a lifetime.  As people age, they often take long periods of time off from seeing a dentist.  Sometimes people stop caring as much because they're not out in the public, and they think oral hygiene doesn't matter.  I’ve heard more than my fair share of patients say “If I was younger, I would take better care of my teeth” or “I won’t live long enough for my teeth to matter”.  I’m not here to predict anybody’s demise, but too many times people live a lot longer than they expect and years of oral neglect become a huge concern as far as their overall health and quality of life.

Without prevention, increasing years can bring on gum and bone recession, dry mouth, brittle teeth, periodontal disease and side effects of drug treatment; all of which can deteriorate oral health.  You may notice things such as open spaces between teeth, shifting teeth; bad breath as well as other tell-tale signs of concern.  Many older adults are faced with medical problems that can affect their general overall health as well as their dental health.  One of the most common conditions we see in aging adults is periodontal disease and the inability to open the mouth wide enough for oral exams or brushing. This can often be attributed to arthritis since it can limit the mobility of the hands and facial joints.  Limited movement can affect the quality of brushing and care the teeth receive.  This in turn not only leads to gum disease, but an increase of decay as well.  Regular dental visits and good oral hygiene are especially important for older people since many suffer from dry mouth, which slows down the flow of saliva. Saliva plays a major role in preventing tooth decay by rinsing away food particles and neutralizing harmful acids. Dry mouth often comes with old age, but can also be caused by medications like antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants and diuretics. 

Technically, the older generation is not that much different from treating anyone else; however, dentists have to be able to work around the effects of the aging process and instruct people on how to care for themselves with respect to their physical, mental and medical changes.  It all boils down to prevention.  Yes, I know you think I am a little redundant, but excellent home care including brushing and flossing as well as regular visits to the dentist are crucial for a lifetime of health.  Next week I will go into some ways to assist in offsetting the aging process.  Thanks again to the reader for the question.  As always, if you have any questions e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Have a blessed week.