The aging process affects the smile just as much as the rest of the body. While everybody wants a bright and confident smile at any age, many seniors and middle-aged adults deal with oral health issues that can make them shy about showing their teeth. Luckily, healthy lifestyle habits and a little dental intervention can help many people achieve shiny, healthy smiles that they can be proud of. Here are a few ways aging affects your teeth along with several methods dentists can use to keep your smile healthy and flashy.
How Does Aging Affect My Teeth?
Teeth go through a lot over decades of use. Chewing, grinding, injuries, staining, and general wear and tear take their toll. Here are a few ways aging can alter your smile.
Changes in alignment
As the shape of the face continues to develop, teeth can shift out of place. Around a person’s late thirties or early forties, their dental arches will start becoming narrower, which can lead to crowding and misalignment of teeth. Years of biting also cause teeth to begin to slightly tip inward. While this is only a minor inconvenience for many people, others may desire to correct these issues with porcelain veneers or other treatments.
Thinning enamel
Tooth enamel is the strongest material found in the human body, but it is not invincible. Years of chewing, grinding, and acid exposure can cause the enamel to become thinner, making teeth more likely to crack or break.
Receding gumlines
Older people have higher rates of gum disease, and the gums thin and recede as a person ages. This makes teeth more vulnerable to damage and decay by exposing their roots.
Discoloration
Thinning enamel as well as the staining effects of foods and beverages that are heavy in pigments and dyes such as coffee, tea, red wine, colas, berries, and candies can alter the color of the teeth. As a person ages, their teeth can accrue stains and their thinning enamel can make the dentin layer underneath more visible. This causes the teeth to appear to be more yellow over time.
How Can I Keep My Teeth Healthy?
While aging can bring dental health concerns, severe issues like tooth loss and oral infections are not inevitable. In fact, archaeologists have confirmed that if you take excellent care of your teeth, they can stay in great shape for hundreds of years after you stop using them. At any age after six, an excellent daily oral hygiene regimen includes brushing at least twice, flossing at least once, and using antibacterial mouthwash. If your teeth need a little help to look your best, your dentist can provide you with restorative and cosmetic treatments to whiten them up, straighten them out, and get them in shape.
About the Author
Dr. Moji Chandy received her Doctor of Dental Surgery from the New York University College of Dentistry before practicing in New York for a year. She moved to Texas in 2007 and participates in continuing education classes, symposiums, and seminars to stay abreast of the latest developments in dentistry. Her office in Carrollton, TX offers preventive, cosmetic, restorative, and emergency dentistry. For more information on keeping your teeth looking great in your later years, contact her office online or dial (972) 492-6700.