06 May Maintaining Healthy Teeth And Gums Throughout The Retirement Years

Many older adults may want to keep their biological smiles intact as they age, but they often are under the wrong impression that doing so is not possible. Indeed, it is a realistic goal to keep your teeth and gums healthy so that you can make the most of your retirement years.

When developing your plan to maintain your smile as you age, it is important to consider the unique challenges that older adults face when it comes to their dental health. Fortunately, however, most of the things you’ll be doing are the same things you’ve done to protect your smile for your entire life.

Regardless of your specific situation, find a qualified dentist to serve as your partner in your effort to protect your smile. Finding one can be as simple as plugging ‘dentist near me’ into Google!

The Myth Of Inevitable Tooth Loss

Many older patients believe that they will eventually lose their biological teeth no matter what they do. However, this is false. If you have taken good care of your smile throughout your life, there’s no reason that has to change in retirement and beyond.

Essentially, the same threats that can compromise your oral health when you are younger can do harm as you get older as well. As such, older adults who want to keep their smiles in optimal condition should do everything possible to minimize the presence of harmful oral bacteria.

How To Protect Your Oral Health As You Age

Oral disease prevention strategies don’t change with your age, so the fundamental practices that promote good oral health are consistent throughout the lifespan. They include the following:

• Good oral hygiene habits
• Seeing your dentist twice each year for check-ups and cleanings
• Eating a nutritious diet
• Staying well-hydrated

Unique Oral Health Risks Faced By Older Adults

Although the basics of maintaining a healthy smile are the same for all age groups, older adults do face some specific challenges, such as:

• Medication side effects that reduce the amount of available saliva
• Physical or cognitive limitations that make it difficult to perform oral hygiene tasks
• Difficulty obtaining professional care. Many patients wonder – can I find a dentist near me that I can get to easily?

If any of these issues are a concern for you, discuss them with our dentist so that you can develop a plan for addressing them. And if it’s been more than six months since your last check-up, pay our team at Smile Naples a visit to get back on track.