Over the years, like all mothers, I embarrassed my children on a regular basis. I had a variety of ways of doing this, but one of the most embarrassing was when I’d approach perfect strangers in the dental aisle of the grocery store. As a dental hygienist and an educator, when I saw someone confused over which toothbrush or toothpaste to buy, I ignored my kids’ pleas (“MOM! That is a stranger! Stop talking to them!”) and I’d try to help. I almost couldn’t help myself and it looks like I still can’t!
Much has changed since I graduated from Dental Hygiene school in 1983. At that time older adults assumed they would lose their teeth. Both the importance of teeth to overall health and the link between oral health and overall health had not been established. Back then medicine didn’t recognize that the head was actually attached to the body!
Today, only about 5% of people over 65 wear full dentures and the benefits of keeping your teeth along with a healthy oral cavity are clear. Let’s look at why the health of your teeth and the oral cavity is important to your overall health, what causes tooth loss, and the challenges that we experience in caring for our teeth as we age.
How the Teeth and the Oral Cavity Affect the Body
Missing and broken teeth affect your bite and can cause grinding and clenching. This can irritate jaw muscles and lead to pain and headaches.
Missing and broken teeth can impact speech clarity.
Food digestion starts in the mouth. Without a functioning dentition and salivary glands food cannot be properly chewed and mixed with enzymes in the saliva to prepare it for proper nutrient absorption. The inability to chew properly can lead to a higher risk of choking and discomfort in digestion.
The oral cavity has a microbiome, a collection of microbes such as bacteria and viruses. As with the gut microbiome, an imbalance of healthy microbes to harmful microbes causes the immune system to respond with inflammation and a variety of health problems.
Chronic inflammation occurs when harmful bacteria form plaque along the gumline. This chronic inflammation can affect both Type I and Type II Diabetes, as well as other chronic diseases.
What Causes Tooth Loss
Bacteria/Decay
Bacteria in the mouth produce acids which break down enamel leading to its destruction. Early enamel loss can be reversed (good news!), but if not, bacteria can further break down the tooth and eventually enter and infect the tooth’s nerve.
Gum Disease
Bleeding gums, when brushing is not normal, is a sign of early gum disease known as gingivitis. Untreated gingivitis can lead to an advanced type of gum disease known as periodontitis. Periodontitis causes destruction of the teeth’s bone support system, loosening the teeth.
Other Factors
Contributing factors include smoking, sugary and/or acidic foods and drinks, frequent snacking, and poor oral hygiene practices.
Age Related Challenges
As our lifetimes extend, some of the oral and physical changes we experience can make caring for our teeth more challenging. Several factors increase the incidence of tooth loss in older adults.
Dry Mouth
As we age, our bodies naturally create less saliva and that, coupled with medications which cause dry mouth, contributes to a greater risk of decay.
Exposed Roots
Remember when elders were called “long in the tooth”? This is because even in healthy mouths some bone loss occurs over decades and with that comes root exposure. The root, without enamel to protect it, is more susceptible to decay.
Acid Reflux
Stomach acids can erode enamel.
Love of Sweet Treats
Age related predilection to sweet flavors.
Dexterity Changes
Arthritis and neurological changes can make brushing and flossing more difficult.
Access to Care
This can be due to finances, inadequate insurance, lack of transportation, low health care literacy, and mobility challenges in the dental office itself.
As we have learned in our many decades of life, knowledge is power! In the next articles I’ll be sharing best practices for caring for your teeth and oral cavity, preventing dental diseases, and accessing care. If you have any topics you’d like me to address that would be of general interest to our peer group, please comment below.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
How well do you care for your teeth? Do you do it for better health or to keep your smile bright? In what area of oral health do you think you lack enough information?
