We heard people saying getting old means invitation to the health issues. This, to some extent, is true as our body goes through several hormonal changes which lead to the certain health problems. But it is also true that if you take care of your health at the beginning or at the right time then you can avoid many such health issues.
Some of our body parts actually get neglected as issues related to those areas are not specifically known to the people. And the mouth is also one of them; we don’t care for it until something big happens. But as we age we should take care of our mouth and should know what all problems can happen. Here, we will try to provide some insights on that:
1. Risk of Gum Health:
Gums are said to be the most critical, integral, and important part of the mouth and healthy gum leads to the strong and solid base for your teeth and also act as protective guard resistant to bacteria’s. As you age, they can get damaged, weak and diseased, if proper care is not taken. Certain habits should be followed and some should be avoided as gum diseases’ predominant more as you age; smoking is one of those habits, which should be avoided as soon as possible as they affect gums very badly. Smoking impacts the strong gum barrier which results in infection to pass into the mouth very easily. You should follow proper oral hygiene such as using fluoridated toothpaste for brushing twice a day and flossing once a day as they help against bacterial buildup, tartar, to prevent tooth decay, and plaque. If oral hygiene is not followed then it can be serious and leads to gum bleeding, wounds, and inflammation. Be regular with your dental hygiene and dental visits to avoid any risk.
2. Risk of oral cancer:
With age, mostly above 55, the mouth is at the risk of getting impacted by oral cancer. But people who smoke, take alcohol and use tobacco are at the higher side of getting mouth cancer. We should avoid such habits which can affect the health of our mouth.
3. Face xerostomia or Dry Mouth:
Saliva is needed in the mouth as it keeps cleansing and moistening. It also helps in controlling fungi and bacteria to prevent any infection to happen. When enough saliva is not present, mouth will get dry; tissues get swollen or get wounded and tend to become uncomfortable. It may happen because of some kind of medications you are taking and not drinking enough water.
4. Loss of Enamel Layer:
We all know if you use something for a longer period of time, then its performance will or may get deteriorate. Same applies to our teeth as well, all hard grinding and chewing that is being done by our teeth and other issues such as chips or breakage to which our teeth exposed will have a severe impact on the oral health. Our teeth are protected by the layer which is called as “the enamel” that becomes progressively worse and once the enamel is lost, it can’t be regained naturally.
Certain habits need to be avoided to fight against this such as don’t chew hard items, ice cubes, pens or pencils, teeth grinding, jaw clenching and using a mouthguard when playing sports to avoid any injury. Also, avoid acidic food items as they weaken the enamel.
From above points, now we know why it is very important to take oral health care as you age.
Dr. Nitin Oswal
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