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Q: Can proper dental care prevent changes in the mouth?
A : Proper dental care will keep your teeth and mouth healthy, but it will not halt natural changes that occur in the mouth as we age. For instance, teeth can darken over years because the enamel on the crowns of teeth becomes more transparent and shows more of the dentin underneath. Also, the longer we live, the more we use our teeth and the more they wear. Chewing, for example, wears down the biting surface of the teeth. This type of wear is called attrition. Abrasion is wear that occurs just below the enamel of the crown in the cementum that covers the roots. This type of wear is more likely in older people whose gums have receded. Receded gums also make the root more susceptible to decay.
The skin around the mouth is also going to wrinkle. The fact is older cells
contain less water and tissue less fat. Older people who have lost some or
all of their teeth are also more likely to experience bone resorption, or
dissolution. Dryness in the mouth is another natural part of aging. Dryness
can be caused by other conditions as well. So talk with your dentist about
changes you can expect and also about any problems you can avoid.
August 3, 2009
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