If you are currently in your mid 30s to mid 50s, there’s a tendency to be complacent about your dental health. That’s especially the case for those who have had minimal dental issues in the past. It doesn’t help that most articles on oral care discussions are centered on infants, teens and even seniors, but rarely on the middle-aged group.
However, without proper diet, oral hygiene and professional care, middle-aged adults are no less immune to the risk of dental health problems. In fact, many in the seniors group today can probably trace their current dental woes to negligent eating habits or oral care lapses in their 30s or 40s. The common excuses given by people in this age group with regards to overlooking their oral health include: Family and work responsibilities, social commitments, and ironically, physical exercise.
While trying to keep fit and healthy, you also need pay attention to your oral health. Scientists are beginning to unravel the intricate relationship between dental health and the health of our entire body. A body of research has suggested a link between gum disease and other medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and stroke. If the scientists are right, the oral cavity can act as a barometer of your body’s condition. Oral health problems like gum disease and dry mouth syndrome can then be regarded as indicators of underlying medical conditions.
Even though you have many commitments and are understandably time-starved, these do not change the fact that ignoring your teeth now will almost certainly catch up with you at some later time. In fact, what you do in your middle-age years is critically important towards the prevention of edentulism – the complete loss of permanent teeth – later on in your twilight years. Neglecting to replace a few missing teeth now, for example, can have a domino effect on long-term tooth loss.
The leading causes of missing teeth are a lack of proper hygiene and lifestyle choices like smoking and high carb diet. Lifestyle choices can give rise to gum disease, which if not swiftly dealt with, can develop into Periodontitis, an advanced form of gum disease. Over time, the disease will strip away your gum tissues, resulting in the loss of the bone tissue that holds the teeth in place.
Gum disease is actually avoidable with smart oral hygiene measures. Regular dental visits for oral exams can help to monitor and prevent the occurrence. Professional dental cleaning helps to clear the stubborn oral plaque build-up that contribute to tooth decays and gum diseases. These can also be done in addition to prophylactic cleans involving dental scales and polishes.
Tobacco smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can bring about a variety of dental health problems, ranging from discoloured teeth to severe issues like mouth cancer. Besides curbing or totally avoiding these habits, the best way to avoid oral cancer is to pay attention to the signs and symptoms by undergoing regular oral exams at the dentist’s office.
The incidence rate for oral cancer is also significantly higher in the middle aged groups – especially males in their 40s and 50s – compared with the younger age groups. Since oral cancer is curable if detected early, it pays to have your oral health regularly monitored by a dental professional.
If you’re worried about any dental related problem or simply want to have a check-up, please contact Sydney CBD Dental at 02 9051 0503.