Why teeth deteriorate with age and what to do about it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

This is a natural process. But giving up bad habits and advances in modern dentistry can work wonders.

Why teeth change with age

The main reason is age-related abrasion of teeth, which manifests itself in people after 35-40 years. The essence of the process is simple: throughout our life, teeth do not know rest: they work, chewing food, rub against their cheeks and tongue while talking, the first to meet unfavorable factors (smoking, alcohol, excess sugar in food, and others). All this leads to a gradual abrasion of the enamel layer. This makes the teeth look darker, as through the thinned enamel the dentin is more visible, and lower, because the abrasion of the enamel leads to a decrease in the height of the bite. Therefore, as a rule, young people have lighter and larger teeth than older people.

Also, a huge role is played by lifestyle, the presence of chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, gastritis, colitis, other gastrointestinal diseases), many of which adversely affect dental health, the level of oral care, excessive consumption of coloring food and drinks, some professional conditions (intoxication heavy metals), lack of minerals.

With proper care and regular visits to the dentist, enamel changes can slow down, but they never stop altogether. Even the most modern medical technology is unable to stop the natural aging process.

How to maintain the beauty and health of your teeth for as long as possible

1. Change your lifestyle

Although dentists are the best friends of teeth, do not forget that we ourselves can significantly prolong the beauty and youthfulness of a smile. Here's what will help slow down the aging process of your teeth:

• Quitting smoking and drinking. Alcohol causes teeth staining and destroys them due to the acids contained in alcohol.
• Reducing sugar intake.
• Refusal from foods and drinks with a high content of coloring substances: coffee, tea, chocolate, red and dark fruits, vegetables and berries.
• High-quality home oral care - brushing your teeth twice a day after meals, using rinses, dental floss, and an irrigator.
• Complete nutrition with the necessary set of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, macro- and microelements, vitamins.

Also, checkups with a dentist are required twice a year. The sooner the doctor identifies the problem, the faster and easier it will be to fix it.

2. Do not neglect professional cleaning

Plaque on the teeth, which inevitably forms every day, not only spoils their color, but also harms the health of a smile. It is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria that cause tooth decay: in the course of their vital activity, they release acid that destroys teeth.

Even the most thorough home cleaning will not help completely get rid of plaque, and therefore you need to contact a dentist-hygienist twice a year for professional cleaning with special devices.

Primary ultrasonic cleaning helps to remove plaque using ultrasonic waves, to sanitize the oral cavity. Hardware teeth cleaning is performed using a thin stream of water and a fine abrasive. They are applied under pressure to the surface of the teeth and in the spaces between them, removing plaque and tartar. Thus, you can even lighten the teeth by 1-3 shades by getting rid of plaque, dark spots and tartar.

3. Carry out whitening

Although cleaning and healing the oral cavity, it cannot overcome age-related darkening of the teeth, which is associated not with the formation of plaque, but with the thinning of the enamel. To brighten your smile by more than 1-3 tones, it is better to seek teeth whitening. It is carried out only after hygienic cleaning.

There are currently two most popular bleaching options, both of which use hydrogen peroxide formulations. In the first version, an ultraviolet or LED lamp is used to activate the composition. It heats the enamel with the gel applied to it, oxygen is released from the hydrogen peroxide, penetrates the tooth structure and breaks down the pigment.

In the second case, the whitening effect is achieved thanks to the laser. This is the most modern, effective and useful type of procedure. Teeth can be lightened by 10–12 shades, and the result is preserved forever - hygienic cleaning twice a year is enough to maintain the effect. The laser also thickens the enamel, reducing the distance between its constituent microprisms.

However, bleaching also has contraindications:

• Age under 18. This is the period of the formation of the dentition, and the enamel in children and adolescents is more fragile.
• Pregnancy and lactation. There is no research that unequivocally confirms that the procedure is harmless for women in position and nursing mothers.
• Caries, gum disease, a large number of fillings.
• Allergy to whitening compound.

4. Consider installing veneers

Whitening will not help correct a decrease in the height of the bite, erasure of enamel, cracks that appear with age, chips, defects in the shape of the teeth. In these cases, veneers or lumineers help to improve the smile. Both are thin ceramic onlays that are fixed on the front surface of the tooth, sometimes going beyond its edge. The difference is in the thickness and the method of fastening. The veneer is thicker (up to 0.5 mm), and therefore the tooth must be sharpened under it. Lumineer is thinner (no more than 0.3 mm), which means that you can either do without turning at all, or limit yourself to minimal grinding of the tooth.

With the help of veneers and lumineers, you can, of course, correct the color of the teeth, but their main advantage is the improvement of the shape and restoration of the height of the teeth. The pads will hide the seals and the consequences of injuries.

However, the procedure for installing onlays is longer and more complicated than cleaning or bleaching. First, it is required to cure all existing diseases of the teeth and gums, to carry out professional cleaning. Then the doctor creates individual models of veneers (lumineers). You need to wait at least 2-3 weeks for the pads to be ready, and only then the doctor will prescribe a new appointment for you to try them on. If something does not suit you, veneers (lumineers) will be sent for correction, if everything is in order, then they will be fixed on special dental cement.