17

Oct

Dental aging is the progressive, lifelong physiological changes in the teeth and the structures supporting them. These include changes in color, structure, position, and general oral health. However, that does not imply that a dull, worn, and uncomfortable smile is an unavoidable part of aging. Can you do anything as the years go by?

This article discusses how your teeth and oral environment change as you age. This understanding is based on the biological mechanisms of cellular renewal, wear and tear, and the constant interaction between your genetics and lifestyle. Although aging is unavoidable, most of its worst impacts on oral health can be learned, controlled, and prevented through proactive efforts.

The Internal Transformation Of Your Teeth

Many changes to your teeth start deep inside the tooth structure before you can see them. These internal changes are the leading causes of the observable changes in color and strength that you can relate to an aging smile. They are a natural but occasionally unwanted continuation of the life cycle of your body. The first step in dealing with the external consequences of these core changes is to understand them.

Discoloration 

The darkening or yellowing of your teeth with age is one of the most frequent worries that you might be experiencing. This transformation is mistakenly assumed to be merely due to stains caused by coffee, tea, or tobacco. Although external staining has a role, the reason is an actual change within your teeth. Your teeth are made of two primary hard tissues:

  1. The outer layer of enamel. This is the whitest section of the tooth, although not completely opaque.
  2. The inner, core layer of dentin. This layer is naturally yellowish.

During your life, your dentin layer constantly becomes thicker in a process known as secondary dentin deposition. It implies that the yellowish center of your tooth will be larger as you age. Meanwhile, your enamel, the hard protective outer coating, is being chewed, ground, and exposed to acidic food and beverages throughout your lifetime.

This leads to the progressive thinning of the enamel layer. The two events together, which are the thickening of the dentin layer and the thinning of the enamel layer, imply that the color of the dentin becomes more visible. This is the natural, or internal, cause of your teeth seeming to darken on the inside.

This yellowing within is often enhanced by extrinsic, or external, staining. Enamel may form microscopic pores and craze lines (little vertical cracks) with age. Such surface flaws allow pigments of dark-colored foods and beverages to enter the enamel and become embedded, including coffee, red wine, tea, and berries. Therefore, the teeth look more yellow because of an internal change. Still, the enamel surface is more vulnerable to picking up and retaining external stains, a two-fold effect that makes the smile darker as you age.

Shrinking Nerves and Increased Brittleness

In addition to the color, the structural integrity of your teeth also changes with age. Each tooth has a hollow chamber inside that holds the pulp, which is composed of nerves and blood vessels. This is the pulp that makes the tooth sensitive and vital. This pulp chamber shrinks as you grow older because of the continuous formation of dentin. The smaller the pulp chamber, the less blood goes to the tooth. This reduced vascularity implies that your teeth will become dehydrated and, consequently, brittle.

The former is flexible and strong, whereas the latter is fragile and breaks easily under pressure. Your old teeth are not much different. This brittle nature predisposes them to cracking, chipping, and breaking due to forces they could have easily resisted when they were young, like biting on hard foodstuffs like ice or nuts.

Moreover, the nerve tissue in the pulp recedes and shrinks, reducing tooth sensitivity. Although reduced sensitivity to cold may be advantageous, it has a grave disadvantage. It can conceal the initial signs of dental issues. A little hole or a crack that would have given you a twinge when you were twenty-five years old may well pass entirely unnoticed when you are fifty until it turns into a severe problem.

One should differentiate between harmless craze lines and problematic cracks. The above tiny, shallow vertical lines, known as craze lines, are present only in the enamel and are very common in adult teeth. They result from years of flexing and stress and are typically considered a cosmetic problem, but they can pick up stains.

A problematic crack goes deeper, through the enamel and into the dentin. These cracks may be painful to bite and release, but they provide an avenue through which bacteria can enter the tooth's inner pulp and cause an infection, requiring a root canal. It takes a professional dental examination to differentiate between the two, typically with special lights and magnification.

Structural Shifts

Your teeth do not stand alone. They are fixed in a dynamic bone and soft tissue system, which changes dramatically as you age. The health of this foundation is what determines the stability and alignment of your smile. In the long run, even minimal but consistent changes in your jawbone and gums can result in some of the most visible and functionally essential changes in your teeth.

Jawbone Loss and Gum Recession

Alveolar bone is the bone that supports your teeth, and it is not static. Similar to other bones in your body, it may be impacted by the natural loss of bone density that tends to come with aging. This slow bone loss may cause the support of your teeth to be less stable. This loss of bone can be increased by underlying conditions, such as osteoporosis or a history of periodontal (gum) disease, resulting in a significantly weaker base to your teeth.

At the same time, your gum tissues are subject to change. As they age, they can get thinner and less elastic. More importantly, gum recession is common among adults, where gum material recedes around the teeth, exposing the root surfaces.

Although aggressive tooth brushing may also be a factor, gum disease is the most prevalent cause of major recession. The receding of the gums exposes the root of the tooth, which is softer and vulnerable and is not covered by protective enamel. This makes you more susceptible to root cavities and makes your teeth more sensitive to hot and cold.

There is no use in overemphasizing the fact that active periodontal disease is the most destructive and aggressive agent of bone and gum loss in adults. This is not a passive process of aging but an active bacterial infection. Unremoved plaque becomes hardened into tartar, containing bacteria that release toxins.

The immune system of your body reacts to these toxins through inflammation. This chronic inflammatory reaction is supposed to combat the bacteria, but instead, it destroys the tissues that hold your teeth, the gums, and the alveolar bone. In the face of this continued infection, the face resorbs or dissolves away, forming deep pockets around the teeth, causing looseness, and ultimately tooth loss unless attended to. It is not a disease that is unavoidable as one grows older.

Crowding and Misalignment

You may have found that your lower front teeth, which may have been straight all your life, have begun to overlap and become crooked. It is a pervasive age change. Your teeth are continuously in a state of slight motion during your life. Teeth tend to move towards the middle of your face, a process called physiological mesial drift.

This forward pressure, among others, causes shifting. The arches supporting your teeth may also narrow as you age, and there will be less space. In addition, the muscles of your cheeks and lips also change, changing the forces they apply to your teeth. This forward drift, a narrowing arch, and loss of jawbone density often cause crowding.

The smallest and weakest of all teeth, the lower incisors, are generally the first to yield to such pressures, and they pile one upon the other. This not only impacts the look of your smile; teeth that are crooked or overlapping are far harder to brush, and therefore, you have a higher chance of plaque formation, cavities, and gum disease in those sections. This shifting can also change your bite functionally, and this can put unnecessary strain on some of your teeth and may be a cause of jaw joint (TMJ) pain.

The Effect of External Wear and Tear

Since the time your permanent teeth come out, they are put into use. Each meal, each word you utter, and each time you clench your jaw adds up to a lifetime of use. This repeated mechanical and chemical pressure causes an accumulation of damage to the outermost layer of your teeth, the enamel. Although enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it is not impervious. One of the main reasons your teeth age is the wear and tear they undergo over decades.

The Three Faces of Tooth Wear

The progressive loss of your tooth structure is not a one-stage process but the combination of three actions: attrition, abrasion, and erosion. All three are essential to know, since they tend to work together to change the form and role of your teeth.

  1. Attrition

This is the mechanical wear that is caused by direct tooth-on-tooth contact. The most frequent cause is the grinding and clenching of your teeth, a condition referred to as bruxism, which is usually unconsciously performed in sleep. Over the years, this grinding may smooth the chewing surfaces of your molars into smooth, shiny facets and erode the edges of your front teeth to the point of looking short and absolutely straight with each other.

  1. Abrasion

This is the mechanical erosion of the tooth structure by a foreign object. The most famous case is the harm done by brushing teeth with an incorrect toothbrush. When a hard-bristle toothbrush is used with too much force, it may scrape away the enamel, especially in the area of the gum, forming V-shaped grooves. Opening packages with your teeth, biting fishing line, or holding pins are also considered tools and can result in typical chips and notches.

  1. Erosion

This is the chemical erosion of your tooth enamel by acids. This process does not involve bacteria, as opposed to cavities. Acidic foods and drinks such as citrus fruits, soda, and sports drinks are the main offenders. If it is the cause, you usually observe a typical "cupping" or hollow formation on the chewing surfaces of the molars.

Other medical disorders like acid reflux (GERD) or chronic vomiting also subject your teeth to strong stomach acids that can quickly dissolve enamel, giving it a smooth, glassy look, usually on the inside surfaces of your teeth. Each of the three types of wear wears away your enamel, exposing the sensitive dentin layer, altering your bite, and changing the look of your smile.

How to Keep Your Teeth Youthful and Strong

Once you learn about the several changes your teeth are going through, you know that your oral health will deteriorate. Although you cannot prevent the natural aging process, you can ensure that you control the things that cause you to age faster and become more susceptible to illness.

The secret to maintaining a healthy, functional, and beautiful smile during a lifetime is a proactive attitude, which involves taking excellent care at home and having a close relationship with your dental team.

At-Home and Professional Care

Your home care routine should change as your oral environment changes.

  • Brush your teeth. Due to such problems as gum recession, you now clean other and more susceptible surfaces of the teeth. A soft-bristle toothbrush is more important to avoid additional gum recession and enamel abrasion. It is based on thorough yet gentle brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.
  • Floss your teeth. Flossing should be done daily because that is the only method for cleaning between teeth and under the gum line, where plaque may build up in the crevices formed by recession and movement.
  • Routine professional checkups and cleanings. It is also essential to have a routine of professional checkups and cleanings. When your nerves lose their sensitivity, you will no longer be able to use pain as a prompting signal of a problem.

Frequent dental checkups enable your dentist and hygienist to detect conditions such as root cavities, small cracks, or early stages of gum disease before they can develop into complicated issues. The first line of defense these appointments offer is early detection, which is central to conservative and effective treatment.

  • Watch what you eat. The food you eat affects your aging teeth significantly. Reducing the number of times one drinks and eats acidic beverages and food is prudent to fight acid erosion. When you indulge, it is a good idea to rinse your mouth with water to neutralize the acids. You should also watch out for the hidden sugars in your diet that feed cavity-causing bacteria.
  • Drink enough water. Hydration is also essential, particularly since most of the drugs used by older adults lead to dry mouth (xerostomia). Saliva is the natural defense mechanism of your body. It washes off food particles, neutralizes acids, and has minerals that help to remineralize enamel.

Without sufficient saliva flow, you are at high risk of rampant cavities, particularly on exposed roots. Drinking water during the day and talking with your dentist about saliva substitutes can go a long way.

Protect and Preserve Guards, Retainers, and Restorations

In addition to general care, there are specific measures that you can take to mitigate the significant causes of age-related dental harm. Consider a custom-fitted night guard if you notice any signs of tooth wear caused by grinding (attrition).

A night guard protects your teeth against the enormous power of nighttime clenching and avoids further erosion, cracks, and jaw discomfort. Equally, if you have undergone orthodontic treatment previously, you should wear your retainers as prescribed to prevent the natural age-related shifting that will nullify your efforts and cause crowding.

Modern dentistry provides many solutions to changes that have already taken place. Stained discoloration caused by enamel thinning and darkening of dentin may be treated successfully through professional teeth whitening. Restorative treatments can be used in cases where teeth have become worn, chipped, or cracked.

An example is a dental crown, which serves as a protective helmet, enveloping the whole tooth to hold it together, reshape it to its original shape, and absorb the forces of chewing to stop a crack from spreading. Such protective and restorative steps are not merely concerned with aesthetics but rather with the maintenance of functionality and catastrophic tooth failure in the future.

Visit a Dental Clinic Offering Quality Services Near Me

The process of aging of your teeth is complicated, involving internal structural changes and external wear over a lifetime. However, a worn or uncomfortable smile is not an unavoidable consequence of getting older.

Proper at-home oral care and professional dental care guidance are the secrets to maintaining a vibrant, healthy smile. To develop a personalized program to keep your smile healthy and youthful over many years, call The Whittier Dentist at 562-632-1223 to book your consultation today.