Just Part of Getting Old?
The average person views tooth loss as “just part of getting old (aging)”. In fact, most Canadians have lost a few teeth by the time they reach their sixties. Statistically speaking it’s probable. According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) approximately 25% of Americans 65 years and older have lost ALL their natural teeth. Even though this is an American statistic it’s transferable enough to be alarming to Canadians. Interestingly, the same study showed that the same age group who currently smoked tobacco doubled that with almost 50% over 65 missing all their teeth. Despite the odds, Erbsville Dental often treats clients in their 90’s who still have all their teeth. So, what’s their secret? They obviously don’t think tooth loss is just part of aging. How do you avoid becoming a negitive dental statistic?
Susceptible to Wear Over Time
The tires on your car are incredible. Just think of the wear and tear they endure. You could compare them to your teeth that grind, bite, tear, chew, rip, and chomp the foods you eat. Despite their enamel covering being the hardest substance in your body, they are still susceptible to wear over time. If you stop and think about everything we throw at them, teeth have incredible endurance. However, they are not impervious and have their limitation as to what they can take. Even if we do everything right, there are factors that can impact their health such as genetics, lifestyle, and diet.
Overwhelming Your Bodies Oral Defences
Fortunately, the human body does much to support your teeth, but neglect, a bad diet, and bad habits such as smoking can overwhelm your bodies oral defences at the expense of healthy teeth. We hear a lot from toothpaste companies about restoring tooth enamel but once enamel is worn down to a certain point, it can become impossible to recover without your dentists help. Erbsville Dental offers fillings, sealants, veneers, crowns, and implants when needed.
Circumstances and Changes
With age comes different circumstances and changes that can harm our teeth. For example, several medications cause dry mouth and make keeping teeth clean more challenging. Saliva also contains enamel building blocks, so, with less saliva also comes less enamel regeneration. Gum recession, a common side effect to ageing gives plaque more room to grow. Your attitude towards ageing can also become a factor for tooth loss if anxiety or depression cause you to neglect your daily routine. Despite all these known potholes on the road to keeping your teeth, you can succeed. Brushing twice a day, 30 minutes after breakfast and before bed at night for 2 minutes is essential. Add to that flossing and a good mouthwash and you’re significantly increasing your odds of keeping all your teeth for life.
Our Preference is Always to Maintain Your Natural Teeth
Visiting Erbsville Dental for checkups and tooth cleanings every six months improves those chances even further. The pandemic may have scared you away but rest assured, Erbsville Dental is a safe place. Dr. Mathews will monitor your teeth making sure new developments on your teeth are found and addressed properly with the latest dental technologies. If the need arises, they are also a full cosmetic dental office capable of implants, bridges, and dentures made on site. At Erbsville Dental the preference is always to maintain your natural teeth and avoid restoration dentistry wherever possible. Call us today, schedule an appointment, or read some more of our posts to learn more. Tooth loss is definitely NOT part of the aging process.
