There is nothing more youthful than a full, shiny smile. As we age, we may experience tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems that can make us look older than we feel. It’s important to know how to take care of our teeth into old age so they last as long as possible.
Floss and use mouthwash
Keep your teeth and gums healthy by flossing and using mouthwash. Flossing removes food particles from between teeth, which can lead to gum disease if left there for too long. Mouthwash kills germs that cause bad breath, cavities and other problems in your mouth.
Eat healthily
Eating the right types of food can help you avoid a lot of tooth problems, especially when you’re older. Foods high in acidity and sugar, or hard foods will wear down your enamel and make it more susceptible to damage from plaque buildup. Try to avoid all of these things as much as possible:
- Avoid too much sugar.
- Avoid too much acidic foods (tomatoes and citrus fruits).
- Avoid too much starchy foods (potato chips).
- Avoid too crunchy foods (nuts).
Brush your teeth regularly
If possible, you should also brush immediately after eating or drinking anything acidic. Smoking can also leave your teeth dull and yellow, so make sure that you brush after smoking as well. You should brush your teeth twice a day, or more than once if you eat foods that are harmful to your teeth.
If you have sensitive teeth, try using a soft-bristled toothbrush instead of an electric one; this will help avoid damaging them further by using too much pressure when brushing. Also, make sure that you’re using the right toothpaste for your needs—some types can actually cause damage to the enamel!
Finally: don’t forget about flossing! A lot of people tend to skip this step (because who likes flossing?), but it’s essential for keeping good oral health into old age—and hey, if nothing else it’ll give those gums a break from all those hard-to-reach spots between each tooth!
Don’t eat too much sugar
Sugar is a real menace. It causes cavities, bad breath, and gum disease. Sugar can also increase your risk for diabetes and heart disease—not good! And if that’s not enough, sugar makes you fat. Even if you don’t have diabetes or heart disease already, eating too much sugar can lead to these health issues down the line because it raises your blood glucose levels which can have an impact on these conditions later in life.
With all of this in mind, it’s important to know how much sugar you’re eating every day so that you can cut back if necessary (and hopefully avoid having to deal with any of these problems).
Smoking is bad for your teeth
It may seem obvious, but smoking can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath. This is because it causes plaque to build up on the teeth more quickly than usual. The plaque itself does not hurt your teeth, but it provides a breeding ground for bacteria that eat away at the enamel of your tooth and cause cavities (tooth decay).
The process also leads to gum disease where there are pockets of infection between the gums and teeth that aren’t easy to reach or treat with brushing or flossing alone—and this can result in loss of jaw bone height over time as well as an unsightly appearance due to receding gums. Smoking can also increase the risk of oral cancer by up to five times according to some studies!
Make an appointment with the dentist every six months
To keep your teeth shiny and clean for as long as possible, it’s important to see the dentist regularly. At least once every six months, you should make an appointment with your dentist to discuss any potential issues that may be developing.
Many make mistakes while waiting for the problem to appear, and only then go to the dentist, because the key to quality preventive dental care is to avoid caries or tooth loss.
Get enough calcium, vitamin C and vitamin D in your diet
If you want to keep your teeth healthy, you need calcium and vitamin C. Calcium helps to strengthen the enamel on your teeth while vitamin C fights bacteria that cause tooth decay. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium so it can be used by the bones in your body as well as by your teeth.
You can get calcium from dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt. Fish such as salmon and sardines will provide you with vitamin D too, along with eggs which are an excellent source of both vitamins A and E (which also help protect against gum disease). You could also try green leafy vegetables like spinach or cabbage to increase your intake of both vitamins A and E as well as iron which may help reduce blood loss during brushing. To boost absorption of iron from grains such as wheat bread or cereals add some lemon juice before eating!
If you take care of your teeth, they can last through many decades. That’s why it’s important to start taking action now so that you don’t have problems down the road. You’ll be glad you did when you’re able to keep on smiling into old age!
