Aging can affect our teeth. Our teeth may succumb to changes in color, appearance, and even become loose due to bone loss over time. However, just because you’re becoming older doesn’t mean that your teeth should lose their functionality. With dental care from Rochester Advanced Dentistry, we can help your teeth continue to look and function well far into your life. Explore what happens to your teeth as you age and what you can do to counteract some of the changes.
Common Oral Health Problems Associated with Aging
The older you get, the more important it is to keep up with oral hygiene habits. This means that you should never skip any of your dental appointments or brushing or flossing your teeth at home. One of the common dental problems associated with age is periodontitis. Periodontitis is usually the result of poor oral hygiene combined with certain medical conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It’s also linked with a dry mouth which is a common side effect of many medications that older people take. Gum disease can lead to receding gums, loose teeth, bone loss, and even tooth loss without treatment.
Not only is the older population at risk for developing gum disease, but their teeth also experience wear and tear. Wear and tear can come from just daily chewing activities or from clenching and grinding without wearing a nightguard. At the end of the day, keeping up with regular visits to the dentist for preventive and restorative dentistry can help older patients keep their beautiful and functional teeth.
Aging Can Stain Teeth
Another side effect of aging many patients will face is tooth staining. However, it’s not the aging itself that stains your teeth, it’s the substances your teeth come into contact with. Many things can stain teeth over time, including:
- Smoking
- Coffee and tea drinking
- Certain food, such as berries, that can stain the teeth
- Wine drinking
- Certain medications
Teeth Thinning With Age
But let’s say for a moment that you somehow managed to avoid the substances that stain your teeth. What else could affect your teeth? Well, teeth enamel begins to thin with age, causing a gray color and less lustrous appearance. It also makes it difficult for older people to chew which can cause them to not eat enough nutrients. Thinning enamel causes a greater risk of decay as well. This alone is good enough reason to seek a solution. You don’t have to let your teeth lose their life because they’re thinning with age. There are several dental solutions to combat a thin enamel.
Regardless of your age, you’re never too old to enjoy a beautiful new smile. Porcelain veneers are the perfect solution to aging teeth. Wafer-thin, lustrous shells of porcelain affixed to the front of your teeth, porcelain veneers can create a gorgeous set of pearly whites that will make you look younger and feel younger, as well as helping to restore teeth function and preventing decay. Your teeth will never look whiter and more perfect than with porcelain veneers.
Porcelain veneers are completely safe and long-lasting. If you’ve been considering a fast, pain-free way to bring back your youthful smile, porcelain veneers may be exactly the solution you’ve been seeking.
Please contact Rochester Advanced Dentistry today to schedule your free, private consultation with Dr. Jeffrey Haddad or Dr. Kurt Doolin to find out how to enhance your oral health as you age.
