YOU DON’T HAVE TO BECOME LONG IN THE TOOTH
Teeth betray age. A well-preserved man of indeterminate years might cut a youthful figure at a glance, but as soon as he opens his mouth, his age is apparent.
While decades of red wine, cigarettes and coffee leave their mark on ageing enamel, odd bits and pieces of dental work, inattention to oral hygiene and receding gums remove all illusion of youth.
With care, however, it is possible to keep the average mouth youthful, in both appearance and function.
The first thing to take care of is saliva. For the maintenance of oral health, saliva is magic. Healthy people can’t get too much of its protective and restorative qualities. Saliva bathes the teeth and gums in a rich mixture of fluoride, phosphorus, calcium, enzymes and antibodies. It keeps the mouth fresh, hygienic and free from many undesirable bugs. It works constantly. When, for example, a high-acid diet leaches calcium and phosphorus from the outer layer of teeth, making them vulnerable to decay and wear, saliva is there to restore the balance. The same thing happens when athletes sip popular sports drinks that are high in acid and sugar.
Saliva also contains an epithelial growth factor that makes skin grow more rapidly. It is thought that this is the reason animals lick their wounds and why wounds in the mouth heal so quickly.
On average, people produce about 0.7 ml of saliva a minute, but once stimulated by chewing, production increases to between 1.5 ml and 2 ml a minute. Mouths are comfortable because oral mucosa like to be wet, there is sufficient saliva to lubricate food and swallowing is effortless.
People with perpetually dry mouths complain of a furry tongue that sticks to the roof of their mouth and teeth that have become sensitive to hot and cold because of erosion.
But not everyone is aware they have a dry mouth. Some reach for a lolly, thinking it is the sugar they are after when what they are actually doing is stimulating saliva production by sucking. Numerous dentists recommend sugarless gum to increase saliva flow.
Several factors contribute to a dry mouth. Stress and emotional upset can cause it, as can blocked or inflamed salivary glands, but two major culprits are medically prescribed drugs and dehydration.
Some drugs have anti-cholinergic side effects and reduce saliva production. If used only for short periods, however, drugs with these side effects, such as antihistamines, are not problematic. But some drugs prescribed for chronic conditions such as depression, high blood pressure and Parkinson’s can lead to long-term dryness, mouth ulcers and taste disturbances.
Radiation treatment or chemotherapy can result in saliva problems that may become so bad that patients may need to resort to artificial saliva.
Daily changes to diet can improve salivary flow and help to keep a mouth youthful. Unknowingly, many people live in a state of semi-dehydration – nothing that litres of water a day wouldn’t cure.
Fresh crunchy foods (fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts) stimulate saliva and keep mastication muscles in good shape. Chewing also stimulates ligaments around the roots of the teeth and this in turn stimulates bone growth. Bone anchors teeth, and if the bone is healthy there is less risk of teeth becoming wobbly.
Receding gums are a sure sign of age. Regular visits to the dentist can help keep insidious gum disease at bay, while proper brushing and flossing can control gum damage. In the morning, a 3-minute brush before or after breakfast is sufficient. The aim of this brush is to get plaque rather than food off the teeth. Before sleep at night, metabolism slows and salivary flow usually drops to a minimum. For this reason night brushing and flossing is crucial. The aim should be to get all bacteria off the teeth.
Brushing can conclude with a fluoride rinse recommended by a dentist. The rinse will coat the teeth for the night, prevent more bacteria settling on them and help to compensate for the reduction in saliva.
By taking care, it is quite possible to reach the age of 90 without ever becoming long in the tooth.
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