Our Dental Needs Change As We Age – Here’s How
How visits to your local dentist may change as you get older….
Here at Abbey Road Dental in NW8, we pride ourselves on being the family-friendly dentist, providing excellent care for members of the family, no matter what their age.
With that ethos in mind, we have many patients who have been visiting us for a number of years, which of course means their age and needs change over time.
As we get older, lots of things about us change, including our oral health requirements. As an older individual, you will have had your teeth for a long time, and hopefully eaten plenty of delicious meals with them! Obviously we want our natural teeth to last us as long as possible, so it’s important to continue to care for them as we get older.
Unfortunately, lots of adults going into their senior years do lose their teeth, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you take care of your teeth as well as you can, and continue to visit us regularly, your teeth can remain strong and healthy.
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay never stops being a potential issue, in fact, it can become more of a risk as you age. Naturally as you get older your gums may well recede away from the teeth. This exposes more of the tooth and the roots to plaque. Tooth decay may also be an issue around fillings which can weaken over time, providing excellent places for bacteria to thrive. You may also struggle to notice any changes with your teeth or gums because you might not feel any pain. Unfortunately this can be because your nerves shrink and become less sensitive with age.
Dentures & Implants
Although it is possible to hold onto your teeth, sometimes medication, accidents, diseases or just ‘life’ happen and cause us to lose one or more teeth. With such incredible advances in dental technology, this isn’t something to be afraid of anymore. Dentures and dental implants are both excellent ways to help you enjoy teeth that look and feel like the real thing. If you have a need for teeth replacement, we will always talk over the different options with you.
General Health
As you get older, you naturally become more at risk of certain health conditions. You may also be more likely to take certain medications which can affect your oral health. One of those health conditions is heart disease which has been linked to gum disease in medical studies, so it is important our dentist or dental hygienist at Abbey Road Dental help you keep gum disease at bay in between visits. They will also check for signs of gum disease when you come and see us, and treat it accordingly as well.
Medications may also be something that affect your oral health. Some medications can give you dry mouth. As well as being uncomfortable, this is bad for your teeth as your saliva is a natural defence against tooth decay. If this is an issue we can provide plenty of suggestions to help. Osteoporosis is also a condition that affects older individuals, which can also impact oral health because of certain medications associated with it. If you have osteoporosis please be sure to discuss this with your dentist.
Oral Cancer
We will always check for signs of oral cancer when you come in to see us for a checkup. However, as you get older, your chances of getting oral cancer increase, so please do speak to us about the signs of oral cancer and talk to us if you think you have any symptoms. Cancer Research statistics from between 2009 and 2011 show that incidents of oral cancer diagnosis for men and women are highest between the ages of 50 and 74.
Come And See Us At Abbey Road Dental
The best thing about all of these changing oral health issues you get with age, is the fact they can all be greatly relieved, treated or avoided with a great oral hygiene routine and with regular visits to our clinic. If you want to talk to us about your changing oral health needs, or you’re due for a checkup, please give us a call on 02076241603 and we will be more than happy to book you an appointment.