Taking Care of Your
Teeth and Mouth
No matter how old you
are, you need to take care
of your teeth and mouth.
When your mouth is healthy,
you can eat the foods you
need for good nutrition. You
will also feel better about
smiling, talking, and
laughing. Teeth are meant to
last a lifetime. By taking
good care of your teeth and
gums, you can protect them
for many years.
Tooth Decay
Teeth are covered in a
hard, outer coating called
enamel. Every day, a thin
film of bacteria builds up
on your teeth. Over time,
the bacteria can cause holes
in the enamel. These holes
are called cavities.
Brushing and flossing your
teeth can protect you from
decay, but once a cavity
happens, a dentist has to
fix it.
You can protect your
teeth from decay by using
fluoride toothpaste. If you
have a lot of tooth decay,
your dentist or dental
hygienist may give you a
fluoride treatment during an
office visit. Or, the
dentist may tell you to use
a fluoride gel or mouth
rinse at home.
Gum Diseases
Gum disease begins when
plaque builds up along and
under the gum line. This
plaque causes infections
that hurt the gum and bone
that hold teeth in place.
Sometimes gum disease makes
your gums tender and more
likely to bleed. This
problem, called gingivitis,
can often be fixed by daily
brushing and flossing.
Other gum diseases need
to be treated by a dentist.
If not treated, these
infections can ruin the
bones, gums, and other
tissues that support your
teeth. Over time, your teeth
may have to be removed.
To prevent gum disease:
- Brush your teeth
twice a day with
fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss once a day.
- Visit your dentist
regularly for a checkup
and cleaning.
- Eat a well-balanced
diet.
- Quit smoking.
Smoking increases your
risk for gum disease.
Cleaning Your Teeth and
Gums
There is a right way to
brush and floss your teeth.
Every day:
- Gently brush your
teeth on all sides with
a soft-bristle brush and
fluoride toothpaste.
- Use small circular
motions and short
back-and-forth strokes.
- Take the time to
brush carefully and
gently along the gum
line.
- Lightly brush your
tongue to help keep your
mouth clean.
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How to Floss |
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Hold floss as shown. |
Use floss between
upper teeth. |
Use floss between
lower teeth. |
You also need to clean
around your teeth with
dental floss every day.
Careful flossing will take
off plaque and leftover food
that a toothbrush can’t
reach. Be sure to rinse
after you floss.
See your dentist if
brushing or flossing causes
your gums to bleed or hurts
your mouth. If you have
trouble flossing, a floss
holder may help. Ask your
dentist to show you the
right way to floss.
People with arthritis or
other conditions that limit
hand motion may find it hard
to hold a toothbrush. Some
helpful ideas are:
- Slide a bicycle grip
or foam tube over the
handle of the
toothbrush.
- Buy a toothbrush
with a larger handle.
- Attach the
toothbrush handle to
your hand with a wide
elastic band.
Dentures
Sometimes, dentures
(false teeth) are needed to
replace badly damaged teeth.
Dentures may feel strange at
first. In the beginning,
your dentist may want to see
you often to make sure the
dentures fit. Over time,
your mouth will change and
your dentures may need to be
adjusted or replaced. Be
sure to let your dentist
handle these adjustments.
When you are learning to
eat with dentures, it may be
easier if you:
- Start with soft,
non-sticky food.
- Cut your food into
small pieces.
- Chew slowly using
both sides of your
mouth.
Be careful when wearing
dentures because they may
make it harder for you to
feel hot foods and liquids.
Also, you may not notice
things like bones in your
mouth.
Keep your dentures clean
and free from food that can
cause stains, bad breath, or
swollen gums. Brush them
every day with a denture
care product. Take your
dentures out of your mouth
at night and put them in
water or a denture cleansing
liquid. Partial dentures are
used to fill in one or more
missing teeth. Take care of
them in the same way as
dentures.
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth happens when
you don’t have enough
saliva, or spit, to keep
your mouth wet. That can
make it hard to eat,
swallow, taste, and even
speak. Dry mouth can cause
tooth decay and other
infections of the mouth.
Many common medicines can
cause dry mouth. Try sipping
water or sugarless drinks.
Stay away from drinks with
caffeine. Don’t smoke and
avoid alcohol. Some people
are helped by sucking
sugarless hard candy or
chewing sugarless gum. Talk
to your dentist or doctor
for other ideas on how to
cope with dry mouth.
Oral Cancer
Oral cancer most often
happens in people over age
40. Treatment works best
before the disease spreads.
Pain is not usually an early
symptom of the disease. A
dental check-up is a good
time for your dentist to
look for signs of oral
cancer. Even if you have
lost all your natural teeth,
you should still see your
dentist for regular oral
cancer exams.
You can lower your risk
of getting oral cancer in a
few ways:
- Do not use tobacco
products – cigarettes,
chewing tobacco, snuff,
pipes, or cigars.
- If you drink
alcohol, do so only in
moderation.
- Use lip balm with
sunscreen.
Finding Low Cost Dental
Care
The following resources
may be helpful in finding
low cost dental care:
- See if local dental
schools have student
clinics. Visit
www.nidcr.nih.gov/HealthInformation/FindingDentalCare.
- Contact your county
or State health
department to find
dental clinics near you
that charge based on
income.
- Call 888-275-4772
(toll-free) or visit
www.ask.hrsa.gov/pc/
to locate a community
health center near you
that offers dental
services.
- Check your State or
local dental association
at www.ada.org/ada/organizations/searchcons1.asp
to find dentists in your
area who have lower fees
for older adults.
For More Information
American Dental
Association
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
800-621-8099 (toll-free)
www.ada.org
National
Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research
National Oral Health
Information Clearinghouse
1 NOHIC Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3500
301-496-4261
www.nidcr.nih.gov
For more information
about health and aging,
contact:
National
Institute on Aging
Information Center
P.O. Box 8057
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057
800-222-2225 (toll-free)
800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)
www.nia.nih.gov
To order publications (in
English or Spanish) or sign
up for regular email alerts,
visit
www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation.
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