This might surprise you, but your teeth don’t automatically start falling out when you get older.<\/p>\n
Well, they don’t have to.<\/p>\n
With age comes a lot of things. Some of these things are good, like experience, lifelong memories, and a bigger family.<\/p>\n
Some aren’t quite so good, like bothersome aches and pains, a slower metabolism, and a higher risk of developing health issues.<\/p>\n
But aging doesn’t have to come with tooth loss.<\/strong><\/p>\n If – and this is a big if – you take good care of your teeth throughout your life, then you can hang onto your pearly whites well into your senior years. Even for your entire life!<\/p>\n Dental Express<\/strong><\/u><\/a> <\/u>\u00a0is here to help you tackle that “big if.” We’re here to arm you with knowledge, so your dental health matures as you mature.<\/p>\n From diet tips to senior dental care to dental care during pregnancy, you\u2019ll learn how to stay on top of your oral health in every stage of your life.<\/p>\n Maintaining your dental health as you age starts with setting yourself up for success as early as possible.<\/p>\n First and foremost, the cornerstone of dental health in ALL stages of life is the following:<\/p>\n Brush twice and floss once daily while scheduling regular dental cleanings and checkups with your local dentist.<\/strong><\/p>\n Important side note: if you’re not brushing correctly at home, the road to lasting dental health will be more like a rocky, off-road trail covered in potholes. If you’re not sure whether you’re brushing properly, here’s a helpful article that explains how.<\/strong><\/u><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n Another powerful way to build a strong foundation of dental health is with your diet. If you’re in your twenties or thirties, start paying closer attention to your nutrition now.<\/p>\n Do your best to eat a balanced diet. Have a healthy amount of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and an adequate amount of protein. If you’re able, include some low-fat dairy foods like milk or yogurt for the calcium.<\/p>\n Whether they’re healthy or unhealthy, the eating habits you develop now will carry over into your later years.<\/p>\n Don’t shoot yourself in the tooth! Choose healthy habits now to keep your teeth strong for the long haul.<\/p>\n When it comes to aging, oral health doesn\u2019t have to be a game of catch up.<\/p>\n The sooner you learn to identify potential issues with your teeth, the sooner you can go to your San Diego dentist and get the attention you need.<\/p>\n Here are a few things to look out for as you go through your twenties and thirties:<\/p>\n It’s best to bring these issues up with your dentist sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n And here’s a bonus tip: always be open and honest with your dental health professional about your at-home dental habits.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Honesty is a crucial part of building a dental plan that best suits your needs. Your dentist can’t give you their best advice or treatment if they don’t know the whole story.<\/p>\n When you pay a visit to Dental Express in San Diego, we’ll go over your daily dental habits to establish a baseline.<\/p>\n From there, we’ll help you build a cavity and plaque-proof routine to keep your smile healthy at home. Then, together we’ll create a long term dental care plan focused on protecting and nourishing your teeth for life.<\/p>\n A plan worth smiling about!<\/p>\n Aging has its ups and downs, but if you know what to watch out for, you can keep your smile on the upside as you get older.<\/p>\n One common symptom people experience more with age is chronic dry mouth. But what many people don’t know is that a lot of times, dry mouth is caused by prescription medications.<\/p>\n Without the proper flow of saliva in your mouth, tooth decay can occur. So talk with your San Diego dentist<\/strong> about any health conditions you might have and any medications you’re taking.<\/p>\n The same goes for cancer treatments. Visit your dentist and check to see if your treatments are affecting your dental health in any way. If so, there are dental treatments your dentist can give you to keep your smile healthy.<\/p>\n If you have a missing tooth, explore your options with your dentist. It might not be visible, but if left alone, it could cause further dental issues. Let your dental professional take a look to see what the best course of action is.<\/p>\n Based on your situation, your dentist could recommend dentures, implants, or bridges.<\/p>\n You might not know it, but your teeth do a lot more than chew your food for you. They help you speak clearly and maintain your facial structure as well.<\/p>\n That’s why, if you lose most or all of them, dentures are an excellent way to get your smile back. If your San Diego dentist decides you need them, they’ll make you a unique set to match your teeth, and you’ll be smiling from ear to ear in no time.<\/p>\n But like your teeth, you need to take care of them every day. They can collect plaque and become stained, just like real teeth.<\/p>\n Here are some tips<\/em> from the American Dental Association (ADA)<\/strong><\/u><\/a> <\/u>\u00a0to take good care of your dentures:<\/p>\n Your dentures are your second chance at having pearly whites, so do your best to take care of them!<\/p>\n If you’re only missing one or two teeth, a bridge might be the better option for you. Bridges are fake teeth that fill in the gap left by missing teeth. They can be removable, fixed, or supported by a dental implant.<\/p>\n Bridges are connected to nearby teeth to keep them in place, which takes us back to the cornerstone of dental health: take care of your natural teeth as much as possible!<\/p>\n Your dental care efforts at home will make sure your bridges stay strong and secure.<\/p>\n If you want something more natural-looking than dentures, and a removable bridge seems like too much of a hassle, ask your San Diego dentist about dental implants.<\/p>\n According to the ADA<\/strong><\/u><\/a>, full dental implants<\/a> are among the most significant breakthroughs in dentistry in the past forty years!<\/p>\n A dental implant consists of a support beam implanted into your jawbone and an artificial tooth that fits sturdily on top. Interestingly, this smile-restoring alternative is made of materials like titanium that work well with the body.<\/p>\n What makes the dental implant so secure and reliable is that when it’s implanted into your jaw, the bone grows around it and fuses with it. This feature makes it a supportive foundation for the use of implant-supported bridges or dentures, keeping them from shifting out of place.<\/p>\n The ADA states that your dental health and the strength of your jawbone are more important than your age when it comes to getting implants.<\/p>\n And you know what that means: take good care of your oral health at home and schedule regular dental checkups<\/strong><\/u> to give your implant (or any smile-renewing solution<\/em>) the best chance of success!<\/p>\n The CDC<\/strong><\/u><\/a> states that 34.2 million people have diabetes in the United States<\/em>. That’s more than every 1 in 10 people. If you don’t have it yourself, chances are you know someone who does.<\/p>\n These stats make it crucial to know how diabetes affects your dental health and how your dentist can help you treat it.<\/p>\n First, there are specific dental issues<\/strong> you might experience if you have undiagnosed diabetes. Symptoms like dry mouth, gingivitis, difficulty tasting things, or frequent oral infections are all characteristic of diabetes.<\/p>\n If you know you have it, your dentist can improve your body’s ability to handle your blood sugar levels by treating any gum disease you might have.<\/p>\n In the meantime, do your best to eat a balanced diet, stay active, and avoid smoking<\/strong>. And don’t forget to take care of your teeth like a dental pro!<\/p>\n It becomes even more critical to keep up with your at-home dental care<\/strong> regimen and routine dental checkups with age.<\/p>\n Limiting sugary and highly processed foods and drinks is one of the best ways to protect your teeth as you get older. Keeping your bones strong and healthy with plenty of calcium is essential as well.<\/p>\n We often take these things for granted, but with age, taking care of your teeth at home can become challenging or even too difficult to do by yourself. In this case, your senior dental care plan may need to be more hands-on than earlier stages in life.<\/p>\n At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is why frequent dentist visits are a must, especially as you get older.<\/p>\n We touched on it briefly already, but cancer becomes a more significant concern with age<\/em>. It’s good to know the risk factors and symptoms to bolster your senior dental care plan.<\/p>\n According to the American Cancer Society<\/strong><\/u><\/a>, men are twice as likely to develop oral cancer than women. Additionally, the average age of people with oral cancer is 62.<\/p>\n So, age and gender are big factors when it comes to this type of cancer. However, alcohol and tobacco use are the two strongest contributors. If you enjoy alcohol regularly, try to limit your daily intake to less than two drinks.<\/p>\n As for smoking, the only way to reduce cancer risk is to quit. And it’s never too late.<\/p>\n It won’t be easy, but you can talk to your healthcare provider and your dentist about ways to ease the transition.<\/p>\n Symptoms and warning signs of oral cancer to look out for, as listed by the American Cancer Society<\/strong>, include:<\/p>\n If you’re over the age of sixty, when you visit your dentist in San Diego, share your drinking or smoking habits with them. Share any symptoms you may have.<\/p>\n It might help to write all the symptoms and concerns you have down before your appointment to make sure you cover them all.<\/p>\n Talk to your dentist about building a senior dental care plan<\/strong><\/em> that takes your unique lifestyle into account.<\/p>\n Pregnancy can be such an exciting and magical part of life. With a baby on the way, there’s a lot to keep in mind. But don’t let your dental care take a backseat.<\/p>\n Despite what you might think, it IS safe to visit your San Diego dentist’s office<\/strong><\/u><\/a> while you\u2019re pregnant. Dental care during pregnancy is a vital part of keeping you and your baby healthy.<\/p>\n Radiation from any x-rays you may get is very low, and your dentist will provide you with a protective apron to cover your midsection.<\/p>\n Also, any local numbing agents your dentist administers during a procedure are 100% safe for you and the baby.<\/p>\n It’s essential to let your dentist know you’re pregnant<\/strong> as soon as possible, even if you think there’s a chance you might be.<\/p>\n Being open about your pregnancy will let your dentist know whether to stop any medications or postpone any operations that may not be suitable during this time.<\/p>\n While your cornerstone of dental care should remain intact during pregnancy, there are some new things to be aware of when you’re brushing and flossing for two:<\/p>\n There are so many issues during pregnancy that can make it hard to maintain your at-home dental care routine. What matters is that you do whatever it takes to stick to it.<\/p>\n Your baby will thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n Today, we\u2019ve talked a lot about how important it is to eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet. To help you make more teeth-friendly choices, here’s a list of general recommendations straight from the <\/em>American Dental Association (ADA):<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/p>\nDental Health In Your Twenties & Thirties<\/h3>\n
Oral Health Concerns in Your Twenties & Thirties<\/h3>\n
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Dental Care Between Forty & Sixty<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Dentures<\/h4>\n
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Bridges<\/h4>\n
Dental Implants<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Dental Care & Diabetes<\/h3>\n
Senior Dental Care<\/h3>\n
Cancer<\/h4>\n
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Dental Care During Pregnancy<\/h3>\n
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Oral Health-Friendly Nutrition Recommendations\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n