Your Dental Clinic Loves Nothing More than to See Your Healthy Smile—from Childhood to Old Age
Ask any dentist and they will tell you—taking care of your oral health doesn’t mean the same thing at age six that it does at age sixty, or anywhere in between. This is partly because your teeth aren’t quite the same at different stages of life either. If you want to keep your teeth or your children’s teeth in the best condition you can between trips to the dental clinic, knowing the ins and outs of how age affects your oral health is an indispensable asset.
Infancy and Childhood
Tooth decay can happen at any age, so long as there are teeth. A young child’s teeth may be only temporary, but your dentist will warn you that this isn’t synonymous with “disposable”—in fact, the presence of temporary teeth is incredibly important to a child’s development, and the ability to properly chew is fundamental to healthy digestion. As soon as your infant’s first teeth come in, you can use a tooth brush with very fine bristles and water to clean the teeth and the gum line twice daily.
Helping your children brush their teeth through their kindergarten years is important as it helps to instill the habit early on. After all, the more used to it they are, the more likely they are to adopt the habit themselves. Make sure they don’t skip brushings, especially after sugary foods or drinks, which may leave harmful residue on the teeth.
Adults
You may think that you have your oral health completely under control, but we can all strive to do better in this regard. Before your next trip to your dental clinic, make sure that you are prepared to take your dentist’s advice—especially flossing, which clears plaque and bacteria from places your brush can’t reach. It’s important to keep a close eye on your oral health, as it is tied very strongly to the overall health of your body—and vice versa. If you suffer from diabetes, for example, your teeth may also be at risk.
Habits like smoking cigarettes are tied strongly to oral diseases, especially diseases of the gums, and can also increase the risk of procedures like dental implants not healing properly.
Seniors
Thanks to modern dentistry, many people manage to keep their natural teeth later into life than ever before. These teeth have experienced the wear and tear of many years, however, and need vigilant care. Even if you have dentures or implants, it is still important to visit a dental clinic regularly. Your dentist doesn’t just look after your teeth, natural or otherwise—they look after your complete oral health, which is just as important now as it ever was.
