
Aging can impact your teeth – be prepared with our easy guide to dental health as you age.
For anyone getting along in age, it’s not uncommon to start noticing some changes when it comes to your mouth, your teeth, and the way they all come together.
As you’ve aged, have you noticed any of the following changes?
- Loss of taste
- Chewing and swallowing is much harder
- Increased dry-mouth
- Change in how foods feel or taste in your mouth
- More cavities than usual
Unfortunately, as we age it’s not uncommon to begin experiencing greater difficulty chewing and swallowing. However, this also tends to lead to some lifestyle and diet changes that can hurt you in the long run. First of all, if you’re having trouble chewing – it can impact how well you chew, which can lead to both a choking risk and digestion problems. If you can’t completely chew your food, you should be sure to speak to your local dentist.
Cavity Risk Also Increases as You Age
Outside of a difficulty chewing and swallowing effectively, if you’re starting to notice that your mouth is drier than it usually is, you shouldn’t ignore it. One of the most common reasons for increased decay and cavities as you age is because of dry mouth – which can be caused by many of the medications that patients over the age of 50 tend to take. While hundreds of medications can cause dry-mouth, the most common tend to be those that treat conditions like depression, anxiety, and nerve pain – while antihistamines, muscle relaxants, many pain medications, and decongestants can also contribute to reduced salivary production.
Saliva is important because it makes chewing, eating, and swallowing much easier. But on top of that, it also fights many of the harmful bacteria’s that cause decay while helping your teeth stay free from sugars and debris. Of course, brushing and flossing help – and if you’ve started noticing reduced saliva production you should be sure to drink plenty of water, continue brushing and flossing every day, and talk to both your doctor and your local dentist to learn how to approach any possible medication side-effects.
Have questions about your teeth? Our dentists have plenty of answers. To learn more or to schedule a consultation – please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team of dentists and hygienists near Anaheim today.