A smiley family
Everyone wants a bright, white, healthy smile. But the formula for getting there and staying there evolves throughout your life. What works for the 5-and-under set doesn’t necessarily apply when you’re 25, 55, or 85.
But no worries! Dentists have ample advice that suits anyone and everyone. They aim to keep their patients fit and thriving with teeth that last a lifetime. The basics always apply—brush and floss regularly, and see the dentist twice a year for cleanings—along with extras that keep your mouth in tip-top shape.
Read on for dentists’ recommendations that work from birth to 100 and beyond.
Babies & Toddlers
It used to be that dentists didn’t want to see little ones much before the age of 2 and a half. But that’s not the case any longer. Now the golden rule is to visit the dentist when babies turn 1 or get their first tooth, says Dr. Teresa Fong of Metropolitan Pediatric Dental Associates in Fridley. The tots start getting used to the dentist’s office and dentists dispense advice that sets up little ones for optimal dental health.
Those recommendations include not putting babies to bed with a bottle of anything except water because sugar can cause early tooth decay. Parents also should clean babies’ gums with a washcloth so when their teeth do come in, it won’t take long for them to get used to the toothbrush in their mouths, says Dr. Amy Hughes of Glen Lake Family Dentistry in Minnetonka.
Don’t Share Silverware
Not sharing silverware is another key way to prevent cavities. Many parents inadvertently infect their kids with cavity-causing bacteria when they taste food and then give the same utensil to their child. “Cavities are a transmissible disease through exchanging saliva,” Hughes says. “I always tell that to pregnant mothers and parents who just had kids.”
Daughter and Mom Smiling
Preschool Kids
Advice has changed about toothpaste for little ones, too. Dentists previously recommended fluoride-free toothpaste for children until they stopped swallowing it. They feared that ingesting these toothpastes daily would cause fluorosis, a discoloration of the permanent teeth.
But dental and pediatric organizations like the American Dental Association now say that small amounts of fluoridated toothpaste are safe for children. For kids under 3, use a tiny smear about the size of a grain of rice. Between 3 and 6, a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste is safe, Fong says.
Sometimes cavities happen, though. Fortunately, dentists have a new(ish) trick up their sleeves for treating them without drilling and filling. It’s called silver diamine fluoride. When painted on a trouble spot, it will stop cavities in their tracks and prevent further tooth decay, Hughes says.
Used for decades in countries like Japan and Australia, the treatment is gaining traction in the United States thanks to recent FDA approval. It helps baby teeth wait out cavities until permanent teeth come in or until a small child can handle a traditional filling.
Photo by Tina Rataj-Berard from the Noun Project
Kid with tooth brush
School-Age Children
As much as children protest, “I can do it myself!” it’s important for parents to stay involved with their kids’ brushing and flossing. Many young children just don’t have the coordination or manual dexterity to brush well and enthusiastically until 7 or 8 years old, Fong says. Some don’t brush for long enough (two minutes is the recommendation) and some aren’ t particularly thorough. Give them a hand—or supervise—until they can do a gold-star job.
“Cavities are a transmissible disease through exchanging saliva. I always tell that to pregnant mothers and parents who just had kids.”
—Dr. Amy Hughes, Glen Lake Family Dentistry
When kids’ first- and second-year adult molars start coming in, they become prime candidates for another cavity-prevention measure. Dentists strongly recommend sealants because molars have deep grooves where bacteria thrive and thinner or no enamel, the tough armor that protects teeth from decay. Dentists fill in the nooks and crannies with a thin resin that hardens and wards off cavities, says Dr. John Cretzmeyer of Dentistry for the Entire Family in Fridley.
Kids usually have a jack-o-lantern smile from losing baby teeth, but it’s important to prevent teeth from falling out before their time. Fong suggests mouth guards for kids playing sports. Beyond obvious ones like football and hockey, she also recommends devices for basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and other activities where athletes can get hit in the mouth.
Store-bought mouth guards can be boiled to soften the plastic, then bitten into to make a good fit. Another option, Fong says, is for dentists to take an impression and make a truly custom mouth guard. It doesn’t cost significantly more, and it allows athletes to talk while wearing the mouth guard.
Teenagers & Young Adults
Young adult with an apple
As sports drinks, energy drinks, and pop start replacing milk and water as kids’ preferred beverages, their teeth begin to feel it. These high-sugar, high-acid drinks do a number on enamel, causing teeth to demineralize and become susceptible to tooth decay and cavities, says Dr. Bryan Laskin of Lake Minnetonka Dental in Wayzata. It’s important to not sip on these drinks all day—which constantly floods the teeth with sugar and acid—and to cut way back on consumption.
To fix problems caused by drinking too many acidic and sugary drinks, many dentists recommend prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste and extended fluoride treatments into adulthood. This strengthens enamel to help it repel harmful bacteria. Hughes also suggests that people take Tums after drinking pop or sports drinks because it will neutralize acid from the beverage.
Words of Wisdom
Wisdom teeth also start coming up for discussion when patients hit their late teens and early 20s. Dr. Bradley M. Sundick of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Consultants in Edina advises patients to have their wisdom teeth removed around this age. After age 25, the roots become fully formed and grow closer to the nerve, and oral bone gets denser. This all makes it harder to remove wisdom teeth, and healing usually takes longer.
Patients (and parents) often say that the teeth aren’t causing pain or infection, but Sundick tells them the best time to remove wisdom teeth is when they are two-thirds developed. “We want to take them out before they bother you,” he adds. “There is a good chance that eventually they will bother you, and then what’s bothering you could have damaged your other teeth or caused decay, bone loss, a cyst, or other complications.”
Adults
Most adults have the skills to take good care of their teeth. But as people get into their 30s and older, some of their dental work starts to wear out. Then it becomes time for restorations like crowns, root canals, and implants.
Thanks to digital dental technology, these visits are becoming shorter and easier for patients, says Dr. Tom Morgan of Babcock & Morgan Family Dental in Prior Lake. Common procedures like root canals and crowns, which previously meant two office visits now can be done on the same day. Dentists capture digital images with an intra-oral camera. Then a Cerec machine mills porcelain crowns right in the office. No more goopy impressions and two weeks passing while a lab creates the restoration.
Braces for Grown-ups
It’s also not unusual for adult patients to request braces. Many grownups now have the time, money, and inclination to get the straight teeth they’ve always wanted. Maybe their once-straightened teeth shifted back or their family just couldn’t afford orthodontia. When adults discover that Invisalign trays might work for them instead of traditional metal braces, it doesn’t take long before they sign up.
“It’s never too late, and it doesn’t take any longer for a 50-year-old to straighten their teeth than a 15-year-old,” Cretzmeyer says.
Those who are candidates for Invisalign—notably those who don’t need jaw work—wear sets of clear plastic trays about 22 hours a day that gradually move their teeth into alignment. Patients like that the trays aren’t visible and don’t affect their speech, adds Cretzmeyer.
Mouth Makeovers
Sometimes the whole mouth needs a makeover, and patients head to specialists like Dr. Donna Hecker of City West Prosthodontics in Burnsville. A prosthodontist focuses on restoring and replacing teeth, and she can spiff up individual teeth or the whole kit and caboodle.
For patients wanting a fresh smile, Hecker often replaces multiple crowns or places dental implants for missing teeth instead of building a bridge. She favors this option because implants can be brushed and flossed like natural teeth. And unlike bridges, they don’t risk eroding the health of adjacent teeth with anchoring hardware.
“I see a lot of people in their 50s and 60s who say their kids are now out of college or they paid for their last child’s wedding, and now they have time and money to spend on their teeth,” Hecker says.
Older Adults
As people age and start using more medications, they often experience dry mouth, or xerostomia. More than an annoyance, dry mouth can do major damage to teeth and gums. Dr. Steven Lorentzen of Lorentzen Dental in Golden Valley sees patients every day with dry mouth.
Oral conditions become dangerous when medications dry up saliva. It isn’t doing its job of washing away harmful bacteria, making people highly susceptible to tooth decay. Cavities can appear both in the tooth and root, thanks to gum recession many older adults experience.
Tips for Dry Mouth
Lorentzen offers several solutions, including a prescription fluoride toothpaste that strengthens tooth enamel, helping it ward off decay. He also recommends artificial saliva like Biotene and xylitol toothpastes and mouthwashes. An antimicrobial natural sweetener, xylitol mints and gums like 3M’s Theramints and the brand Sprykeep bacteria at bay.
A complication of aging is that body systems—including teeth—start to fail, leading to teeth breaking or falling out. Oral surgeons like Sundick (and other dentists, too) will remove the tooth and place an implant so that patients don’t have gaps in their smiles. “One of life’s greatest pleasures is eating, and you have to eat three times a day,” he adds. “You want a tooth that feels natural, and that’s what an implant can do.”
From birth to your golden years, staying on top of your oral health is key to looking and feeling great. Good hygiene and dental health care will maintain that dazzling smile your mama gave you.
Caregiver Tips for Aging Parents
As family members age, loved ones are usually quite focused on their physical health. But one area that often is overlooked is dental hygiene.
Many elderly patients aren’t able to brush and floss as thoroughly, thanks to conditions like Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Issues with vision, manual dexterity, and dry mouth from medication stack up to cause significant tooth decay, says Dr. Donna Hecker of City West Prosthodontics in Burnsville.
It’s not uncommon for patients to show up at the dentist with black teeth from decay that accelerated quickly into a mouthful of cavities. “Families are shocked—how does this happen? Going to the dentist gets moved down the list after the heart attack or stroke or bladder issue,” Hecker says.
As people age and lose their manual dexterity, they should consider using dental tools like a water pick, electric toothbrush, and new flossing aids like Gum Chucks, says Dr. Bryan Laskin of Lake Minnetonka Dental in Wayzata. It’s designed like nunchucks with two disposable tips connected by floss, making it easier to reach back teeth.
Seniors also should consider teeth cleanings three or four times a year to prevent decay when they have dry mouth from medications or can’t brush as well on their own, Laskin says. They also need to get enough vitamin B and D to maintain healthy teeth, bone, and gums, Hecker says.
Dentists agree: It’s important to make sure Mom and Dad take good care of their teeth and gums. People keep living longer, and it’s always better to have your own teeth.
