Our mouth is getting older

As we grow older, our entire body ages, and the mouth is no exception. Oral tissues, mucous membranes, teeth… Everything begins to notice the passing of the years.

On the positive side, good oral hygiene and proper care throughout your life will help you reach old age in excellent health. Contrary to popular belief that teeth will inevitably be lost when we reach this age, if we follow our dentist’s oral health advice we can keep all our teeth for life.

On the other hand, poor dental health can be a risk factor in some cardiovascular diseases, or be aggravated by others such as diabetes. The connection of oral health with the rest of the body is so important that even the gestation and delivery of the baby can be altered when the mother has periodontal problems, i.e. advanced gum disease.

What changes in my mouth as I get older?

Even if we take good care of our mouth, age brings about some changes:

• Dry mouth, as we produce less saliva.
• Wear of the tooth surface, teeth become more fragile and smaller.
• Gum recession and alveolar bone loss, which can lead to the loss of teeth if not properly controlled and treated.
• Dental sensitivity, due to receding gums.
• Color changes, the teeth become yellow and brownish in color, mostly associated with habits such as smoking and consumption of wine, coffee and tea.
• Difficulty to eat well due to the loss of teeth and the failure to replace them. This will also lead to digestive problems, since the stomach will have to work harder to break down the food, thus making it easier for associated problems such as heartburn and heavy digestions to appear.
• Ulcerative and reddish lesions on the mucous membranes and tongue, which, although most of the time respond to rubbing by the teeth, can sometimes develop into life-threatening malignant lesions.

How does it affect me?

All of the above changes make us more sensitive to some oral problems, such as tooth decay or gum disease.

And as if adding years were not enough, there are other factors that are added to the changes inherent to age, and which also have a cumulative effect. For example, if we have been smokers or followed a bad diet, when we reach old age we will notice much more the impact on our dental health, since the effect is proportional to the time we have done it.

The main external factors that add to age are:

• Inadequate nutrition.
• Insufficient or inadequate oral hygiene.
• Diseases such as diabetes, heart disease or cancer.
• Environmental factors, such as stress or smoking.
• Certain medications.

What are my options?

In any case, the basic thing is to maintain a very careful dental hygiene, even more than before, to compensate for the changes of age: thorough brushing, interdental brushes and dental floss, as well as regular check-ups with our dentist. If we keep our own teeth and depending on how well we brush, we will need to go every six to nine months for a check-up. If you have gum problems, dental implants or dental prostheses, you should go every four or six months for check-ups, as we know that it is more difficult to brush properly, especially in elderly people who have lost some manual dexterity.

What do we recommend when we have lost brushing skills?

Sometimes, when we reach an advanced age, we lose certain expertise in detail movements, such as brushing or the use of interdental brushes. That is why we recommend a series of tools that will compensate for this situation:

• The electric toothbrush will be more useful than the manual one in case of not being able to perform all the movements correctly. In older people, it will certainly be more effective in removing bacterial plaque.
• The dental irrigator, an electric device that expels water under pressure simulating a mini-hose, will reach all those spaces where the toothbrush cannot reach. Highly recommended for patients with dental implants and dental prostheses.
• The silk thread with bow. This small device consists of an arc-shaped handle with the silk floss mounted on it. Its use is comfortable and intuitive, and facilitates the use of the floss and the cleaning of the spaces between teeth.

What do we recommend when removable appliances are cumbersome and difficult to maintain for the elderly person? the elderly person?

Undoubtedly the best solution will be dental implants, with which you will not only enjoy greater comfort in speaking and eating, but also greater self-esteem and improved social relations. It will be an investment to enjoy a better quality of life in the future. Thus we will avoid the need to depend on third parties for maintenance or removal, that is, we can forget about the discomfort of the mouth forever, and take care of enjoying life!

At Ahoa Clinic we recommend an individualized maintenance program for each patient, respecting their needs and informing them at all times of the evolution of their oral health. A caries check and a detailed examination of the gums at each visit ensures good prevention and long-term health maintenance.