Common Dental Care Struggles Associated with Aging

Common Dental Care Struggles Associated with Aging

Aging doesn’t simply affect your skin. It also affects your dental health. As you get older, since your immune system can weaken, you’re more likely to have dental issues. Some common conditions are associated with aging.

Having a dry mouth is common in older people usually because of medications that they have to take. This is called xerostomia. To treat it, you can keep your mouth moist by keeping water on hand to drink frequently.

Chew gum, too – because that stimulates saliva production and keeps your mouth from becoming dry. Watch out for decongestants because these can worsen dry mouth as well as cause it.

Another thing older people can deal with dental wise is losing their sense of taste. You might notice you start having to use more sugar or salt to actually taste the flavors in your food.

Both of these are relatively minor issues that can happen. However, they can lead to bigger problems.  More serious conditions with dental care are also common as you get older.

Root decay can happen because your gums change as you age. They can shrink back to expose the roots of the teeth. This allows cavities to form on the roots of the teeth. One of the causes of gum shrinkage is dry mouth. This is why it’s important to keep the mouth moist.

Oral thrush is a condition that’s common to older adults and can lead to an inflammation if not treated. Gum disease is common as you grow older and this can lead to tooth loss.

Many people choose to get dentures when they’re older because of dental problems they’ve experienced. Wearing dentures can also be a problem because it can cause the gum to become inflamed from an infection.

Developing oral cancer is also something that is associated with aging. When an older person gets any type of dental issue, it can lead to them having trouble eating what they should eat. When an older person doesn’t eat a healthy diet, this in turn can make their bodies more susceptible to illness and disease.

Besides some common problems with dental issues in people as they grow older, there are other issues that can be a deterrent. As someone gets older and enters the retirement stage of life, their income level can drop drastically.

When an older person lives on a fixed income, it can make it difficult for them to be able to afford dental care. With the cost of dental care rising, they may have trouble finding a dental insurance plan that they can afford on their income.

Besides the cost, if the older person struggles to get around, they may have difficulty getting themselves to the dentist. They might not be able to physically visit the dentist and might not have the transportation means to get there.