Dental health for mature adults

The good habits of effective daily brushing, flossing and diet will help the mature person adapt to changing conditions. Reduced salivary flow and addition of medications will affect oral health dramatically.

Changes of the teeth and gums: Teeth will darken because of long-term exposure to plaque. The gums may recede and uncover the roots. Exposure roots will be darker than the enamel part of the tooth and are prone to decay. Fillings can decay and darken, too, as they weaken over time.

"Dry Mouth" may develop: Saliva is useful to lubricate, wash away plaque, and neutralize the acid produced by plaque. Flow of saliva can be reduced by a medical disorder or be a side effect of antihistamine, decongestants, pain killers or diuretics.

The build-up of plaque will accelerate tooth decay. There will also be more gum infection which will cause a loss of bone support for the teeth. Poorly-fitting partials, worn or chipped teeth, illness and some medications increase the severity of the problem.

Crisis Treatment

Many people don't see a dentist on a regular basis. They go only when they feel they have a problem. We call this "crisis treatment" as opposed to "preventive treatment". While these patients may feel they are saving money, it usually ends up costing much more in both dollars and time. The reason for this is that most dental problems don't have any symptoms, like pain, breakage and infection until they reach the advanced stages of decay.

One example is tooth decay. We hear all the time, "Nothing hurts... I don't have any problems". But decay doesn't hurt! Until, that is, it gets close to the nerve of the tooth. Symptoms include hot and cold sensitivity, abscess, swollen gums, swollen face, foul odour and bad taste and/ or taste of blood.

Then a root canal and crown are usually necessary, instead of the small filling, which could have been placed several years ago when the cavity was small. We can usually detect a cavity 3-4 years before it develops any symptoms. It is not uncommon to see a patient with a tremendous cavity and they have never felt a thing!