The Best Dental Health Advice for Every Stage of Your Life

Updated on October 20, 2020

There are over 200,000 dentists working across the United States to keep your teeth looking great and feeling healthy. But did you know that you have the power to prevent most common dental issues all on your own?

In fact, your daily dental routine can massively reduce your chances of developing tooth decay and gum disease. So the sooner you get on top of this, the better. 

Want to know more about taking care of your dental health, no matter your age? Then you’re in the right place!

Read on to find out more about looking after your teeth at every stage of your life.

Looking After Your Baby’s Dental Health 

Any parent needs to be clued up on the best practices to look after their baby’s teeth and gums. This will protect their vulnerable new teeth and set great habits for their oral hygiene going forward. For instance, you can check out this renowned Dentist In batavia for dental care options.

You should make sure to clean your baby’s gums regularly, even before their teeth come in. You can do this using a wet towel to clear away any milk residue.

Once they’ve cut their first tooth, it’s time to make their first appointment with dental health services! Babies and children receiving government assistance may be eligible for free dental care, so always look into this.

As with adults, it’s extremely important to monitor what your baby is eating as certain foods in their diet can cause tooth decay.

They should only ever drink breast milk or formula from a bottle. Try to keep juice or soda to a minimum and make sure they drink these from a cup. Once they’ve finished drinking, try to brush their teeth if you can and never let them go to sleep with a bottle in their mouth. 

A lot of babies use pacifiers or thumb sucking to comfort themselves. These aren’t major dental issues but they can cause misalignment. Because of this, it’s a good idea to set a limit on how much your child uses their pacifier.

Children’s Dental Health 

As your child grows up, their adult teeth will start coming in, and looking after these is extremely important. After all, they’re the last set of teeth they’ll ever get!

Because of this, children over the age of three should: 

  • Use fluoride toothpaste to brush their teeth twice a day.
  • Visit the dentist twice a year.
  • Wear a mouthguard when they play sports.
  • Have a balanced diet without too many sugary treats. 

Your dentist may also discuss getting braces for your child, even when they still have their baby teeth. This can be a helpful way of correcting misalignments earlier so it’s worth discussing. 

Losing baby teeth can be a scary time for any child so make sure you talk to them about what is happening. You should explain that this isn’t a result of their poor oral hygiene, as thinking this could be very traumatic for them. A lot of parents soften the blow of losing baby teeth by introducing their child to Tooth Fairy traditions.

Adult Dental Health 

Once you’re an adult your oral hygiene becomes your own responsibility. Unfortunately, as life becomes more hectic it can be easy to let your routines slip. Keeping on top of your dental hygiene in early adulthood will really benefit you later in life. 

You should be aware of certain foods in your diet that increase the chance of tooth decay or staining. As well as sugar, these include coffee, nicotine, and red wine.

Gum disease is also a serious issue for a lot of adults. To prevent this, make sure that you floss regularly and don’t apply too much pressure to your gums when brushing.

You may be surprised to find out that what happens in the rest of your body can have a huge impact on your mouth. Because of this, it’s important to discuss any other changes, such as chronic illnesses, pains, or pregnancy with your dentist. They may be able to join up dots that you were missing. 

It goes without saying that you should continue to see your dentist regularly. A lot of adults also look into getting cosmetic dentistry, such as braces or dental veneers, so don’t be afraid to discuss these with your dentist as well.

Senior Dental Health

As you get older, issues with your teeth and the rest of your health can become more complicated to resolve. This is why it’s important to stay on top of your oral hygiene routines.

By this stage in your life, your teeth will already have taken a bit of a battering. This is why tooth decay and gum disease can become more likely with age. However, these aren’t the only dental problems you may run into. 

Certain medications can cause dry mouth, which is uncomfortable and can lead to tooth decay. If you do start taking any new medication, make sure you speak to your dentist about how it might affect your teeth. They’ll be able to make great recommendations on how to counteract this.

Seeing your dentist regularly can also help them to catch serious problems, such as oral cancer, as soon as possible.

If you’re concerned about the cost of seeing the dentist, it’s worth looking into your state’s senior health benefits. A lot of states offer free or discounted dentistry to people over the age of 65!

At this stage in your life, you may also find yourself getting a little extra support from dentures. If so, make sure you look after your set properly. They need just as much love and care as regular teeth to stay looking their best.

Stick to This Dental Advice for Healthy Teeth! 

Taking care of your dental health is extremely important. Luckily, with these pieces of dental advice in mind, it’s also super easy. Create a great dental regime today and you’ll reap the rewards tomorrow! 

For more great advice on how to live a healthy life no matter your age, keep scrolling!

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