No matter what stage of life you are in, taking care of your teeth and gums is essential. However, like so many other things, the path to good dental health actually changes slightly with age.
The first thing to remember is that your dental health can affect your entire body. And thankfully, one of the easiest things to do for your mouth is good for the rest of you as well. A healthy, well-balanced diet makes proper dental care much easier. By limiting your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates, you can significantly reduce the risk of tooth decay. Additionally, your diet is how your body obtains calcium, which is imperative to healthy teeth. Taking the important step of making sure you get the nutrients you need and avoiding those things that are unhealthy for your teeth lays the perfect foundation to good dental health.
The next step is one that is easiest to avoid. Tobacco products can be extremely detrimental to your dental health. Tobacco not only causes bad breath and stains on your teeth, it is also linked to tooth decay, gingivitis and gum disease. To make matters worse, it is a leading cause of oral cancer. Therefore, if you don't use tobacco products, don't start, and if you do, you should quit immediately.
Once the child has the majority of their baby teeth, the path to dental health really begins. This is a good time to switch to a soft bristled toothbrush. One caveat though is that children under two years old should not brush with toothpaste; instead the toothbrush should simply be dampened with water.
As children get older, they should begin visiting the dentist biannually. This is also a good time to start them in the habit of twice daily brushing. Be sure to teach them how to brush prior to letting them take on the task themselves. Ensure that they eat healthy, non-sugary snacks and teach them the importance of good dental health.
Once children enter the teenage years, dental health takes on a different meaning. By tapping into the social nature of teenagers, you can easily encourage them to take care of their mouths. Good dental health for teens can be summed up with twice yearly checkups, twice daily brushing, and flossing once a day for a clean, healthy smile. Staying away from tobacco products will help keep their teeth white as well.
Dental health for adults is very similar to that for teens. However, adults need to be aware of how medications affect their mouths, as well as to check their mouths periodically for sores or lesions that could be signs of bigger problems. In later adulthood, looking after your teeth and gums can have added difficulties. Arthritis can make gripping a toothbrush difficult, and options such as larger handled brushes need to be considered. Dry mouth, dentures, and even oral cancer are other problems that can plague the dental health of the elderly, and the difficulty of finding affordable dental care only intensifies these issues.
Chewing gum is actually beneficial to the teeth as it helps dislodge the food substances stuck to the teeth and also increases the saliva flow which serves to negate the acidic effects. Gum which contains xylitol as a sugar substitute is actually said to fight teeth decay. Always stick to a varied diet, one which helps to maintain an all-round dental health. Try to lessen the intake of foods containing sugar and starch, especially in between meals. This way you can save quite a lot on that dental insurance.
By Ornella