As you age, your dental needs change. Adults have a very different set of oral health considerations than adolescents or young adults. If you’re an adult with grownup teeth and old-adult chewing habits, this is the perfect time to invest in a dentist. Why? Because many of the oral challenges that come with aging are hidden until they become acute issues. And who knows more about adult tooth structures and functions than dentists? They have years of training and experience dealing with all kinds of geriatric dentistry issues. Without regular checkups and preventive care, these problems can get much worse before they get better again. Here are five reasons why you need a dentist for all ages:
Dental Care For Adults Is Different From Teen and Young Adult Care
As patients age, the challenges to dental health change. Young people with teeth can expect to deal with the normal amount of tooth decay and cavities. But for adults, the focus shifts to the potential for gum disease, loss of jawbone, or receding gums. The root cause is less about decay and more about the wear and tear of time. Those changes are why it’s so important for adults to maintain good preventive dental care. Kids are still growing and their mouths are more resilient. Teenagers also have a high risk of oral accidents, which can result in serious damage that requires emergency dental care.
Your Teeth Change As You Age
The biggest difference between teenage and adult teeth is that adults have less room in the jaw. This is due to the wear and tear on teeth during your life. The bone supporting the teeth is slowly converted into other types of bone. Less bone means less room for teeth, so they end up shifting into each other. This is called tooth crowding. Some teeth might wiggle up or down as well. This is called tooth rotation. Another big difference is that gums recede with age. This can leave teeth slightly more exposed and prone to damage. People with fewer teeth often need dental implants to replace missing teeth. Dental implants are fixtures that replace roots and support teeth. They can be used to replace a single tooth or a full set of teeth.
Adult Mouth Problems Are More Acute
As teeth shift around and gums recede, it can cause teeth to point toward the soft tissue in the mouth. This can cause sores on the gums and other soft tissues in the mouth. Sores on the gums are called gingivitis. If gingivitis isn’t treated, it can develop into gum disease. Gum disease makes the gums more likely to recede even more. This can expose teeth and make them more likely to break or fall out. Other mouth problems that come with age are more acute than the gradual decay and gum disease of adolescence and early adulthood. These include loose dentures, periodontal pockets, and weakened teeth that may crack or break more easily. Loose dentures are often the result of tooth loss, which is more common as people get older. And all these issues are more likely if proper dental care is neglected.
Your Oral Health Is Key To Your Overall Health
Your oral health affects your overall health in a number of ways. Poor oral health can make you more likely to have other health problems. Gum disease, for example, can increase the risk of diabetes. And it can also make the treatment for other health issues less effective. Brittle teeth can break more easily, for example, which can then lead to cuts in the mouth. This can then lead to tooth infections or even the spread of infection to other parts of the body. Your oral health also affects your general well-being. This is especially true as we age. If you’ve ever seen an older adult with tooth loss, you’ve seen how it can affect self-esteem. This loss of teeth and self-esteem is even more likely if poor oral health goes undiagnosed and untreated.
Finding A Trusted Dentist Who’s Right For You
If your teeth need special care, you might want to find a dentist who specializes in geriatric dentistry. A geriatric dentist is one of the top-rated dental practice that has extra training to help assess and treat the extra challenges of aging mouths. Your dentist should be able to help identify and treat dental problems that might go unnoticed. They can also help you find ways to manage any oral issues you have. This includes specialized appliances, such as orthodontic retainers or wear-resistant dentures. Your dentist can help you make sure your teeth are as healthy as possible. This includes regular dental checkups and professional cleanings. Your dentist can also help you keep up with any special dental treatments you need. This may include medication for gum disease or the fitting of special dentures. Dental insurance can help cover the cost of these treatments.
Final Words
As you get older, your dental needs change. You can help prevent certain dental problems by visiting the dentist regularly and keeping up with good oral hygiene habits. All adults need regular dental checkups and preventive care. If you’re over 30 and don’t have regular dental visits, now is the time to start. If you have questions about your dental health, it’s important to speak up. Your dentist can help you understand any dental problems you have. And they can help you ease any discomfort you’re feeling.
