Reaching your eighties is a wonderful milestone, but it brings unique changes to your body, including your mouth. If you are still following the exact same dental routine you used in your fifties, you might be missing crucial steps to protect your smile. Here are five expert backed habits that actually protect your teeth in your later years.
Why Your Eighties Are Different From Your Fifties
Dental care changes drastically as we age. In your fifties, the primary focus is often on preventing standard cavities and managing early gum disease. By the time you reach eighty, the landscape of your mouth has shifted.
Years of brushing can cause gums to recede, exposing the softer roots of your teeth which are highly susceptible to decay. Additionally, many seniors take daily medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, or heart health. A very common side effect of these medications is dry mouth. Saliva is your mouth’s natural defense against bacteria, so a lack of it causes cavity risks to skyrocket. Finally, arthritis and changes in manual dexterity can make traditional brushing and flossing much more difficult.
Because of these changes, dental hygienists recommend a very specific routine for older adults.
1. Stop Rinsing With Water After You Brush
This is the number one habit that shocks most older adults, as we were all taught to rinse our mouths vigorously after brushing. However, modern dental professionals strongly advise against this.
When you brush your teeth, you are applying fluoride, a mineral that strengthens enamel and protects exposed tooth roots. If you immediately rinse your mouth with water, you wash all that protective fluoride down the drain. Instead, simply spit out the excess toothpaste and let the remaining residue sit on your teeth. This gives the fluoride time to absorb and do its job, which is especially vital for seniors with receding gums.
2. Treat Dry Mouth Like a Dental Emergency
As mentioned earlier, dry mouth is a massive problem for adults over eighty. Without enough saliva to wash away food particles and neutralize acids, teeth decay rapidly.
You must actively manage dry mouth every single day. Drinking water helps, but it is often not enough. You should incorporate specific dry mouth products into your routine. Products like Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse or ACT Dry Mouth Lozenges help moisturize the mouth. Chewing sugar free gum or mints sweetened with Xylitol, like Pur Mints, is also highly recommended because Xylitol actively starves the bacteria that cause cavities while stimulating saliva production.
3. Ditch the String Floss for Interdental Brushes
Traditional string floss requires a high level of finger dexterity. For seniors dealing with arthritis or joint stiffness, wrapping string tightly around fingers and maneuvering it to the back teeth is incredibly frustrating and often ineffective.
Instead of skipping flossing altogether, switch your tools. Interdental brushes, like the ones made by the brand TePe, look like tiny wire bottle brushes. They feature comfortable handles and slide easily between the teeth to remove plaque. Alternatively, a countertop water flosser like a Waterpik is an excellent investment. It uses a targeted stream of water to blast away debris without requiring any complex finger movements.
4. Upgrade to a Power Toothbrush with a Large Handle
Manual toothbrushes require a lot of rapid wrist movement to be effective. A high quality electric toothbrush does all the hard work for you.
When shopping for an electric toothbrush, look for models from Philips Sonicare or Oral-B. Beyond the superior cleaning power, these brushes have thick, chunky handles. A wider handle is much easier for an older adult to grip securely, reducing hand fatigue and ensuring a full two minute brushing session is actually completed.
5. Ask Your Dentist for Prescription Fluoride
Standard over the counter toothpaste is great for a fifty year old, but an eighty year old with exposed roots and dry mouth often needs something stronger.
At your next dental visit, ask your dentist if you are a candidate for a prescription strength high fluoride toothpaste. Brands like Colgate PreviDent 5000 or 3M Clinpro 5000 contain significantly more fluoride than standard drugstore pastes. Using this specialized toothpaste right before bed, and remembering not to rinse afterward, provides a powerful overnight defense against root decay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need to see the dentist if I have full dentures? Yes. Even if you have no natural teeth remaining, you should visit the dentist annually. The dentist will check the fit of your dentures to prevent painful sores and perform a crucial oral cancer screening.
How often should I get my teeth cleaned after eighty? Many older adults benefit from more frequent, shorter visits. Instead of going twice a year for a long cleaning, ask your hygienist if coming in three or four times a year would help better manage plaque buildup and keep your gums healthy.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. We do not make any claims or guarantees regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the information presented. The content is not intended as professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with appropriate professionals before making any decisions based on the information provided in this article.