Does Your Smile Give Away Your Age? It Doesn’t Have To.

By Jill Feilmeier on November 28, 2017 in Dental Health

“Act your age.” Did you ever hear this phrase when you were growing up? Now that you’re the adult, you can decide how old you want to act. Some say age is just a number or that you’re only as old as you feel. There’s some truth to these positive statements. But regardless of how old we are – or like to think that we are – practicing good health habits can maximize our quality of life and that includes oral health.

At Delta Dental of Iowa, we know practicing good oral health at every age directly affects our overall health. According to the Centers for Disease Control[1], Americans are keeping their natural teeth longer, so it’s even more important to take care of our teeth so we can smile with confidence throughout our lifetime.

Some baby boomers may have grown up in a time before widespread community water fluoridation and good preventive dental care were the norm. Baby boomers can defy poor oral health and aging smiles by taking these easy steps:

• Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day and floss daily.
• Maintain regular dental checkups. Dentists can spot the symptoms of up to 120 diseases through regular examinations.[2]
• Eat a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D to maintain bone health and drink plenty of water.
• Enjoy regular physical activity like walking, biking and strength training.
• In addition to regular dental screenings, if you experience dry mouth, see any unusual spots on your tongue, lips or gums or feel any lumps in your neck or jaw, contact your dental provider.
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption, too much sun exposure and any tobacco use. These factors can all increase your risk for oral cancer.

Establish good oral health habits early, so you can act any age you want as you enjoy your life. For more information on healthy oral care at any age, visit our blog, A Healthy Life!

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/aag-oral-health.pdf

[2] 1 Steven L. Bricker, Robert P. Langlais, and Craig S. Miller, Oral Diagnosis, Oral Medicine and Treatment Planning (Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1994).