{"id":979,"date":"2019-06-24T19:29:01","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T19:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=979"},"modified":"2019-06-24T19:29:02","modified_gmt":"2019-06-24T19:29:02","slug":"common-adult-questions-part-1-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/common-adult-questions-part-1-4\/","title":{"rendered":"COMMON ADULT QUESTIONS \u2013 PART 1\/4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Isn\u2019t tooth loss\ninevitable in the later years?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, older\nadults are keeping their natural teeth longer because of scientific\ndevelopments and the preventive emphasis in dentistry. This improvement was\nseen in the results of a survey released by the National Institute of Dental\nand Craniofacial Research. They showed that among persons aged 55 to 64, the\nrate of toothlessness dropped 60 percent since 1960. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good oral\nhygiene and regular dental care are important throughout your life, whatever\nyour age. By practicing good oral hygiene at home and visiting your dentist\nregularly, you will prevent dental problems and save time and money as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two\nthings that cannot be disputed when it comes to oral health:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Quality of life is better with a healthy mouth full\nof teeth<\/li>
  2. Your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body.\nIf you care about being healthy, you should take the steps necessary to have\noptimum dental health<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    At my age, why should I\nbother with oral hygiene and going to the dentist?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thorough daily\nbrushing and flossing of your natural teeth are essential to keep them in good\ncondition\u2014especially as you age. Plaque, the sticky, colorless layer of\nbacteria that causes tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease, can build up\nquickly on the teeth of older adults, particularly when they neglect oral\nhygiene. This can increase your risk for tooth decay and periodontal disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A few simple steps\ncan help you maintain good oral health throughout your life. Brush your teeth\ntwice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and clean between your teeth daily with\nfloss or interdental cleaners. Be sure to see your dentist regularly for exams\nand professional teeth cleaning. Professional monitoring of your oral health\nstatus is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Should adults be\nconcerned about cavities?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tooth decay is\nnot just a child\u2019s problem. Adults of all ages can have cavities. The causes\nfor tooth decay are the same for everyone, regardless of age. Decay results\nwhen the bacteria in plaque feed on the carbohydrates (sugar and starch) in our\ndiet to produce acids that can cause cavities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Decay rates\ncan change throughout our lifetime for various reasons.  Adults are more likely to have decay around\nolder fillings or other dental work. \nDecay of the tooth root is also common among older adults. Root caries\n(decay) occur when the gums recede, exposing the softer root surface, which\ndecays more easily than tooth enamel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tooth decay is\nalso promoted by dry mouth. This condition, called xerostomia, occurs when the\nsupply of saliva is greatly reduced. It can be caused by many types of\nmedications (such as anti-histamines, anti-hypertensives, and anti-depressants)\nor radiation therapy to the head or neck. Saliva is needed to lubricate the\nmouth, wash foods away and neutralize the acids produced by plaque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Allowed to continue, dry mouth can lead to rampant\ntooth decay. If you think you have this problem, be sure to discuss it with\nyour dentist or physician. They may recommend a saliva substitute and\/or\nfluoride products to help prevent decay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2026.to be\ncontinued<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dr. St. Clair\nmaintains a private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to\nhealth-centered family dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to\nsee written about or questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com<\/a>.\nYou can view all previously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Isn\u2019t tooth loss inevitable in the later years? Today, older adults are keeping their natural teeth longer because of scientific developments and the preventive emphasis in dentistry. This improvement was seen in the results of a survey released by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. They showed that among persons aged 55 to 64, the rate of toothlessness dropped 60 percent since 1960. Good oral hygiene and regular dental care are important throughout […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=979"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":985,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/979\/revisions\/985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}