Your oral health is as critical as your overall physical health, no matter your life stage. Therefore, you must always take good care of your teeth, particularly because, like other areas of your body, your teeth constantly undergo some change. Consequently, you cannot operate under the misconception that they will remain the same as soon as all the permanent teeth grow.
Since the teeth require different levels of oral care at various stages of your life, Here is an overview of how dental care differs at each life stage:
Paediatric Dentistry
Paediatric dentistry primarily involves the care of children’s milk teeth. Since the milk teeth eventually get replaced with permanent teeth before puberty, any significant issues that occur with them attract lower levels of concern. However,as it is best to instil good dental habits in your children while they are young, you can consider milk teeth a teaching aid.
Some of the most vital dental care practices at this stage include:
- Dental examinations to ensure good tooth health.
- The addition of sealants for extra protection, if needed.
- Tooth decay repair using crowns, fillings, extractions, and space maintainers if the need arises.
- The use of some emergency procedures to rectify broken, missing or damaged teeth.
- Identifying misalignment through the dentist’s use of X-rays and other exams
- Your dentist checks your child’s gums for any indicators of gum disease.
Dentistry For Teens
By they are teenagers, all your kids’ milk teeth will have been replaced with their adult teeth. At this stage, reinforcing good oral hygiene practices is crucial. In addition, the care actions they perform at this stage become foundational determiners of the state of their teeth later in life.
Your dentist may prescribe the installation of braces at this stage to combat tooth misalignment, overcrowding or gaps in the teeth.
Dentistry In Adulthood.
Ideally, dentistry in your later life entails nothing more than maintaining your oral health. Therefore, your focus is on building upon and strengthening the outcomes of good practices you learned throughout the years. So, you have to take care to keep your teeth healthy, white and strong. Doing so requires proper oral care at home and regular visits to the dentist, where they will perform necessary check-ups and cleanings. At this point, the trick to effectively rectifying an issue is catching it early or using preventative care to stop it from developing in the first place.
How The Teeth Change AsYou Age
Your teeth also undergo an aging process as you get older. Some of the dental changes that occur as you progress further into your later years include:
- Wear and tear: The teeth remain susceptible to wear and tear over time, no matter their seeming toughness. Moreover, chewing, grinding, and eating hard foods cause blunting on the edges that your dentist may have to address.
- Plaque build-up and gum sensitivity: Plaque continuously forms around the teeth and gums. If left unattended, it may cause swelling, receding and sensitivity.
- Dryness in the mouth: The older you get, the drier your mouth becomes. Without the cleansing presence of saliva, more plaque and bacterial build-ups occur, leading to greater susceptibility to gingivitis.
- Tooth sensitivity: Plaque accumulations, tooth decay, and everyday wear cause tooth sensitivity later in life.
Now that you know about dentistry in different stages of life, it is crucial to reinforce the need for proper care of your natural teeth. You must ensure that you have established and maintained the right dental care routines and practices. In addition, you must schedule regular visits to your dentist for professional check-ups every six months. If you do so, you will easily be able to maintain your dazzling smile long into your old age.