If you’re over the age of 50, your permanent teeth have been in your mouth for more than 4 decades! During that time, they have no doubt taken a lot of punishment. Of course, if you have taken good care of your teeth by following a robust oral health routine, they can still be healthy for many more years to come.

While following an oral health routine that includes brushing twice per day, flossing every day, using mouthwash, and getting a dental checkup every 6 months will put you in the best position to have healthy teeth for your entire life, it’s important to recognize that seniors are at a disadvantage. Decreased immune response, coupled with decades of wear and tear, can combine to make some dental issues more common in older people. Here are the most common issues we see in seniors:

Gum Disease and Gum Recession

Every day, your body is at constant war with the bacteria and fungi that live in your mouth. When your immune system is healthy, and you take good care of your teeth and gums, your body can win this battle. As you get older, your immune system is less capable of fighting these microorganisms. Quite often, they can get the better of you. When bacteria build up around the gumline, they calcify and become plaque or calculus, which irritates the gums.

When your gums get inflamed, they recede, exposing the tooth roots. Now, bacteria have easy access to your soft gum and root tissue. It can get infected, leading to gingivitis and periodontitis.

Dry Mouth

Many seniors take multiple prescriptions for conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure. One of the most common side effects of the medications used to treat these conditions is dry mouth. Chronic dry mouth can cause a lot of oral health problems because no saliva is available to wash away bacteria and food particles in the mouth. Saliva also acts as a protective coating on the teeth and gums, so they are more susceptible to bacterial action when it’s not there.

Tooth Decay

All of the factors listed above can make seniors more susceptible to tooth decay. First, there is decreased immune health, which makes the body less capable of fighting bacteria in the mouth. If you also have chronic dry mouth, you won’t be able to wash bacteria away from the gumline, and you may also be more likely to get pieces of food caught between your teeth. Once a cavity begins to form, it can quickly progress to affect an entire tooth. If the cavity reaches the root pulp, it will likely become infected, at which point only a root canal can save it.

Tooth Loss

Gum disease and gum recession can cause your teeth to fall out prematurely. You may have also lost teeth over the course of your life due to mouth injuries or to advanced tooth decay. No matter what caused your tooth loss, there’s no doubt that it can make chewing and speaking more difficult, and it can also affect your self-esteem.

Dental Care for Seniors in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Although seniors are more susceptible to these conditions, gum disease and tooth loss are far from a sure thing. The older you get, the more diligent you need to be about taking good care of your teeth and gums. Maintain your oral health routine, and be sure to visit the dentist at least twice per year. Your dentist can monitor your oral health and develop a treatment plan for any issues you are experiencing so you have the best chance of keeping your permanent teeth throughout your life.

At ZDental, we treat patients of all ages, so be sure to call us for a checkup, especially if you haven’t been to the dentist in the past 6 months. We have 7 different locations in the Philadelphia area and New Jersey, so call or schedule an appointment online today if you need a dentist in Bensalem, PA or anywhere else in the area!