When you think about aging, most people point to wrinkles, fine lines, gray hair, hair loss, and sagging skin — the obvious signs of aging. But did you ever think about how your teeth age?
The Century Dental Family offers the best in general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and restorative dentistry, including periodontal treatments and dental implants and crowns. We offer an unwavering commitment to the highest quality dental care at our locations, which include our Seaview Dental office in Eatontown and our Century Dental office in Jackson. Our dentists care about our patients and truly treat them as family. In this blog post, we’ll take a close look at how your teeth age. Contact our dentist office today for your dental cleaning!
HOW YOUR TEETH AGE
Increased Risk for Tooth Problems
As you know, you only get one set of adult teeth, so it behooves you to take care of them. Hence, as you age, your one set of teeth can take a beating from doing its job day in and day out just like your body can. One thing to be aware of as your teeth age is that you are at an increased risk for gum disease, tooth loss, receding gums, and other problems such as gingivitis. This is mainly due to the fact that you are older but also due to the fact that as we age, in general, we don’t take as good of care of our teeth as we used to.
Increased Risk for Gum Disease
Our gum tissue recedes as we age, which can expose the root of your tooth, putting it at an increased risk for infection and tooth loss. Bacteria love to hang out on your tooth right next to your gums. If you notice your gums are bleeding more than normal, it’s a good idea to call your local dentist, Century Dental, for a check up. If you notice your gums are more red than normal, this may be a sign of infection, irritation, or inflammation, which you should bring to your dentist’s attention as well.
Increased Risk of Tooth Loss
Most of us have heard of osteoporosis, which is a disease that causes your bone density to decrease. Your body either is not producing enough bone or you are losing bone faster than your body is replacing it. It is common in older adults, as well as older women who have an estrogen deficiency, which can be caused by menopause. Many people don’t even know they have osteoporosis until they do break a bone.
Osteoporosis affects your teeth as well since your teeth are made of the same substances that your bones are. It also affects your jawbone, which can cause teeth to loosen. Simple measures to help prevent osteoporosis are ensuring you eat a healthy diet with lots of calcium and vitamin D. You can also see if a bone density test would be in order if you are concerned you may be suffering from osteoporosis.
HOW CENTURY DENTAL CAN HELP YOUR TEETH AS YOU AGE
Century Dental offers the best oral health care for your teeth and mouth as you age. Our team specializes in periodontal disease, implant dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and general dentistry, including dentures. Taking care of your mouth and your teeth as you age is so very important. Teeth are strong, being able to exert 200 pounds of pressure when needed; but, they still need care.
Century Dental strongly urges you not to use tobacco products, especially as you age. The risk of oral cancer increases with age and with tobacco use. The longer you smoke or chew tobacco, the greater your risk is for oral cancer. In fact, it is almost exclusively those who use tobacco products who develop oral cancer.
We have two offices for your convenience, including Century Dental in Jackson and Seaview Dental in Eatontown. We welcome new patients into our family and do our best to put you first. With decades of collective experience, the dental team at Century Dental and Seaview Dental help to ensure your teeth age appropriately. With daily care, which includes brushing your teeth and flossing and regular dental appointments for check-ups and a deeper cleaning, your teeth should last a long time. Contact our dentist office for your next dental exam!
