Dental Problems In Middle Age

Problems with our teeth can occur at any age, but increasingly so as we approach our middle years

Our first awareness of how painful a tooth can be when things go wrong is likely to have been when we were quite young. Although highly unpleasant, a childhood toothache probably served as a warning to us that perhaps we should take better care of our teeth and may have encouraged us to brush better and see a dentist, however much we disliked doing so as we grew up.

This lesson may have served us well throughout our twenties and thirties and possibly beyond. Eventually though, it is likely that we will start to notice problems that we weren’t expecting.

Like the rest of our body, our mouth and oral cavity come under more challenges as we grow older. That, and the simple fact of passing time might mean that we need to seek treatment for some common middle age dental problems.

Gum disease

This is a problem that can start to occur more easily as we become older. There are a possible number of reasons for this. One is that our saliva flow starts to reduce and can mean that we are more prone to having a dry mouth, a likely precursor to gum health problems. Diabetes is more likely to occur as we grow older too and it is well known that diabetics can suffer from both gingivitis and periodontitis more frequently.

Our Cygnet hygienist team can help you control and manage this problem by cleaning your teeth on a six monthly basis with a scale and polish treatment. Diabetics and those more vulnerable may need this doing more frequently. There are also a number of things that the patient can do too. Make sure that you drink plenty of water to stay well hydrated and don’t smoke (at all) or drink to excess or regularly.

Tooth loss

Many of us probably have a tooth or two that has been problematic over the years. It may have been restored using a filling or a crown which has provided you with a functional and reasonably strong tooth. Over time though, the restorations can weaken and eventually, the tooth’s prognosis may be so poor that it is better to extract it. There is also the possibility of tooth loss due to an accident although this can happen at any age.

It used to be the case that if we lost a tooth it would mean wearing dentures for the rest of our lives, or simply leaving a gap in the teeth. Your convenient Wickford dentist now has a number of alternative solutions to address this problem including the increasingly popular dental implant. Whilst dentures and bridges can still be used for tooth replacement, they sometimes lack the stability of a dental implant. Unlike the other two, this procedure replaces the root of the tooth as well as the crown, thereby ensuring a very strong and secure replacement for the missing tooth.

Worn teeth

Enamel wear can occur over a period of time and especially if our dietary habits have a negative effect. An example of this would be a regular consumption of sugary drinks. Damaged enamel can cause the teeth to become more sensitive and uncomfortable when we eat or drink hot or cold food and drinks. Grinding of the teeth can also cause this and if sufficient damage is done in this way, a crown may need to be fitted to protect and restore the affected tooth.

Teeth discolouration

This is an effect that is more or less inevitable as we grow older.  There is much that we can do to help keep our teeth looking white for as long as possible, namely avoiding staining food and drinks and making sure that we clean our teeth correctly.  As we get older though, the part of the tooth beneath the enamel starts to darken and will eventually be more noticeable through the enamel, leaving your teeth dull and discoloured. This can happen even quicker if the enamel on your teeth has thinned over time.

When this happens, there are two main treatment options available to our Wickford patients. Which one is used will depend on the circumstances and severity of the problem. The most popular option is likely to be our teeth whitening treatment. This can whiten teeth by several shades using a non invasive treatment. Where the teeth are more heavily stained or if you wish to eliminate the cracks and chips that have occurred on your teeth over the years, porcelain dental veneers might be a preferred solution. Our cosmetic dentists will be able to advise the most appropriate treatment for you once an examination has been carried out.

Long gone are the days when we tended to look older than our years and most of us want to keep our relatively youthful looks for as long as we can. More styles of clothes are available for all ages and face creams and facial aesthetic treatments can help us to minimise the wrinkles that appear as we grow older. For some time though, we simply had to put up with deteriorating teeth in our middle and later years but this is no longer the case with the wide availability of cosmetic dental treatments.

If you would like to find out how you can have an attractive and natural looking smile now that you are getting older, why not arrange an initial consultation with one of our cosmetic dentists to see how we can help you? Appointments for a consultation can be made by calling the Cygnet Dental Practice on 01268 733078.