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People are living
longer than ever before in the history of mankind. This
increased longevity has been related to excellent preventive
and therapeutic medical care, public education about
health, improved diet, exercise and a reduction in smoking
and alcohol consumption. Many people are living in their
eighties and nineties with good health and with the
ability to live their lives in a near normal manner.
But just as 60,000 miles on your automobile tires significantly
wears them, 80 years of life takes its toll on your
mouth. What challenges can you expect in your oral condition
as you pass into the mature years of life? This article
demonstrates the following numerous oral conditions
of the mature person.
The most common
malady of the mature years is arthritis. How does
arthritis influence oral health? A person with painful
arthritic hands finds it difficult to clean his or
her mouth to the meticulous level that was possible
in younger years. What is the significance of inadequate
oral hygiene? Dental plaque and tartar accumulations
cause increased dental caries (decay) and periodontal
disease. If you have more difficulty cleaning your
mouth than you did when you were younger, it is suggested
that you ask your dentist or hygienist to suggest
a mechanical toothbrush for you, and that you change
your routine visits to the dentist from the standard
6-month intervals to 3-month intervals. More frequent
visits will cost you more preventive dollars, but
you will have less tooth and supporting structure
destruction and less expense for repair.
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Did
you know that calcium and vitamin D
supplements are known to decrease the
risk for tooth loss among mature adults?
Read more helpful tips about how nutrition
contributes to oral health.
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As persons
move into the mature years, become more physically
debilitated, and lose a few teeth, they often elect
to eat softer foods. These foods are usually sticky,
sugar-containing snack foods. The result of frequently
eating these kinds of foods is a significant increase
in dental caries. When such foods are consumed, they
should be eaten with meals, and the mouth and teeth
should be cleaned of all debris immediately after
eating. This problem is especially present in nursing
homes. It is suggested that when mature persons live
in nursing homes, the nursing home staff would be
instructed by the mature person's dentist on the special
oral hygiene needs of their client. Currently, dental
problems are one of the most significant health challenges
in nursing homes, and it is related to both poor diet
and inadequate oral hygiene.
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Gum tissues
shrink as we age. This situation is unavoidable. As
the gums move down the roots of the teeth, the roots
are exposed. Root structure is darker in color than
the enamel present on the tops of the teeth. Often,
an unsightly appearance of brown-yellow roots occurs,
and discriminating patients become concerned about
the esthetic result. A more critical and threatening
problem is root caries (decay).
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As we move
into the mature years, the gums around our teeth shrink
back from the teeth, exposing the softer, more decay-prone
dentin surfaces of the teeth. This dentin is the major
constituent of the tooth root. Dentin decays far faster
and easier than enamel. In mature persons, the combination
of poor diet, gum shrinkage and dentin exposure cause
rapidly progressing, aggressive decay that often will
destroy teeth within only months. Root caries is one
of the most serious oral challenges facing mature
adults.
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Root surfaces
are closer to the dental pulp (nerve) than the top
surfaces of the teeth. If decay begins to destroy
the root surfaces of the teeth, root canal therapy
can be needed within only a few months. Root canal
therapy is expensive and destructive of tooth structure.
It is to be avoided if possible by adequate oral hygiene
and routine dental recare.
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About one-third
of any population has destructive habits called bruxism
or clenching. People with this condition grind their
teeth, especially while sleeping. They may cuase up
to 100 days of wear on their teeth in only one night
of grinding. Bruxism was not a major problem when
people died at age 45 or 50, but now they live beyond
age 80. Often, teeth subjected to bruxism are destroyed
by middle age unless occlusal bite guards are used,
beginning an an early age. If you have bruxism, you
probably are well aware of this malady. Your teeth
are short, worn and potentially sensitive. If you
are a bruxer, you cannot avoid tooth wear without
professional help. It is imperative that this preventive,
professional help be started as early in life as possible.
Bruxism carried on into the mature years is catastrophic
for the dentition.
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Restorations
(fillings), crowns (caps) and other dental prostheses
(partial dentures) wear out after years of service.
As they wear out, openings occur between the remaining
tooth structure and the restoration, partial clasps
break, porcelain breaks from crowns (caps) and the
restorative therapy degenerates. Decay starts, the
bite relationship collapses and myriad oral problems
start. Mature people need to make sure they are receiving
very thorough dental care even more so than they did
earlier in life. Many new restorative materials containing
decay-preventive chemicals are now available and they
are especially indicated for mature people.
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Periodontal
(gum and bone) disease in youth is infrequent. Periodontal
disease in mature adulthood is commonplace. Mobile,
spaced teeth and foul breath often indicate that periodontal
disease is present. Most mature people have some form
of periodontal disease. They need professional help
in the form of scaling, rinses, antibiotics, surgery,
etc. They need more frequent recall appointments than
they needed in their earlier years.
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About 40 million
people in the United States have dentures. Each year
the bone and gums supporting the denture shrinks.
Over the period of a lifetime the bone can shrink
more than half an inch, resulting in poorly adapted
and loose dentures, poor chewing efficiency and inadequate
nutrition. Despite patients wearing the same set of
dentures for decades, the average denture has a functional
longevity of only about 10 years. Relines are needed
every few years. For optimum health, artificial complete
dentures need professional observation at least once
per year and relining or remaking on a periodic basis.
Your dentist can advise you concerning your own need
for professional care.
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Teeth discolor
with age. This discoloration occurs because of ingestion
of pigmented substances such as coffee, tea, colas
or any colored food. The color in mature teeth only
has a cosmetic disadvantage, and much of it can be
removed with polishing and bleaching.
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As with all
parts of the human body, age produces a predictable
degeneration of the teeth and then the supporting
tissues. This article has discussed and demonstrated
the most significant challenges that occur with your
mouth in the mature years. With the help of your dentist,
decide which of these challenges you face and immediately
begin preventive or therapeutic care.
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Article taken
from A Consumer's Guide to Dentistry by Gordon J. Christensen.
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