Dental Problems through Ages – Solutions That Are Near You

No matter how much we continue to ignore our teeth, they don’t stop working for us day in and day out. The reason you can enjoy your favorite food items and munch on chocolates is because your teeth allow it. Teeth play a very important role in a person’s life and if they demand a little care, they are not asking for much. A person’s dental condition undergoes several changes through his life – from childhood to old age. In every stage, the teeth hold different significance. In this short write-up, we will discuss how our dental health changes through different ages.  

Toddlers/ Young Children (Between the Age of 2 and 5)

Our dental journey begins with primary teeth or baby teeth. These are the set of teeth that remain intact until about the age of 6. Till then these baby teeth aid in all the important functions such as chewing and speaking. However, numerous dental problems are seen in young children or toddlers. These problems can range from tooth decay, thumb sucking, lip sucking, tongue thrusting and even early tooth loss.Research has found that 40% American toddlers have tooth decay by the time they reach kindergarten. The best way to keep the baby teeth is good condition is reducing a child’s habit of thumb sucking, lip sucking etc. Routine dental check-up is also very important for the child. 

Children and Young Adults (Between the Age 6 and 19)

This is the time when most dental problems become visible. The common reason why children and young adults fall victim to dental problems is their eating habits. Over-indulgence in carbonated drinks, ice creams, junk food increases dental problems. It is not surprising that 78% American children have at least one cavity by the time they are 17. However, what is surprising is the negligence, especially on the part of the parents. 16% children between the age group 6 and 19 have untreated cavities. Change in eating habits, such as, increasing the intake of celery, carrot and apples helps keep the teeth clean. Regular visits to the dentist are also important. 

Adults (Between The Age 20 and 64)

Most of us feel concerned about the way we look during the early 20s. Even during the next few decades of life, we continue to evaluate our dental structure critically. This is the age when not only the dental health concerns us but also how our smile looks, the way the teeth are positioned and the changes they bring to our facial features all begin to matter. 74% adults feel that an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s career prospects. It is during this period of life that we should restrict consuming dark foods and drinks such as red wine, black tea, coffee etc. Cigarettes can also leave unwelcome marks and should thus be avoided. 

Seniors (Above the Age of 65)

As we begin to age and reach the twilight years of life, our teeth undergoes considerable change. The changes are often so great that very few seniors can be proud of their unaffected teeth. Statistics validate this point quite clearly too. 33% seniors have untreated tooth decay. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke and respiratory disease tend to worsen the condition of the teeth. Fortunately there are several solutions to overcome dental problems at this age. Professionally cleaning the teeth twice a year, brushing twice daily, flossing once and using anti-bacterial mouthwash regularly can minimize risks. Fish oil also helps in reducing the risk of gum diseases by at least 30%.

Dental Fear - It’s Time to Get over Apprehensions

Dental Fear or Phobia in Dentistry is as old as this profession. While this is often joked around, it is a serious problem in America and other parts of the world.In the early days of short movies dental visits were exhibited as a painful experience so were graphics which often portrayed the dentists as devils who would grind the teeth and extract them painfully. The fear and apprehension was so profound that children were often threatened with dental visits for misbehavior. Yes, in the past dental procedures were painful and the sounds at a clinic scary. But dental science has made considerable progress in pain control and management in the last few decades but the fear and the anxiety continues to remain a major problem leading to severe dental problems. 

It has been estimated one out of three American adults suffer from dental phobias. As a common myth, this fear was always thought to be prevalent among children but it is far away from the truth. This phobia is more acute among people who are between 40 and 64 years or middle adulthood and in fact have twice the prevalence of fear compared to all the other age groups combined. Majority of them weren’t taken for regular dental visits in their childhood and the fear and anxiety has remained with them even in their adulthood. Not surprisingly it is the same category of people who suffer from the most acute problems   

Avoiding Regular Checkup

This fear is very often characterized by one’s avoidance to visit a dentist even for seeking regular dental care.This leads to lack of regular dental care resulting in several tooth and gum problems that include tooth decay, gum disease and eventually tooth loss. Most of the common tooth and gum problems can easily be prevented with regular examination and small procedures when required. This can also save people from expensive procedure when their conditions deteriorate. This fear is often attributed to three major factors – cost, injections and painful procedures. 

Vicious Cycle of Pain and Procedures

Dental fear often traps you in a vicious cycle which is difficult to come out from and can lead to permanent damage to your teeth and gums. This vicious cycle is summarized in the below pointers

• Fear prevents you from going for regular preventive dentals care examination which are a must irrespective of age 

• This often leads to a situation where emerging dental problems go undetected at a stage when they are completely curable. These tend to aggravate over time and develops complications

• Complexity of the problem requires expensive procedures which may seem unaffordable to many and can cause permanent damage to the teeth and gums. 

• The dental procedures which deal with complex teeth problems can cause some a lot of pain and discomfort

• This pain and discomfort adds to your dental fear and you are back to avoiding regular dental examination. 

Modern dental procedures are less painful and cause minimum discomfort to any patients. The science has come a long way and you should avoid getting trapped in this vicious cycle. Dental visits for kids should start early as this doesn’t leave any room for fear and apprehension to develop in their minds. 

It is important to zero in on a professional dentist or dental clinic. You can ask for reference from friends and colleagues as they would guide you to a professional. If you still have any fear in your mind, discuss it with the dentist during your visit as he or she would be able to calm your nerves.