April2024

Q: Will proper dental care prevent changes in the mouth?

A: A good regimen of dental care will keep your mouth healthy, but certain natural changes are going to occur, regardless of the quality of dental care. Teeth, for instance, can darken over time because the enamel on the crowns of the teeth becomes thinner and more transparent and reveals more of the dentin underneath.

The longer we live, the more we wear down our teeth. Chewing, for instance, wears down the biting surfaces. This type of wear is called attrition. Abrasion is the wear that occurs just below the enamel of the crown, in the cementum, which is the substance that covers the tooth’s root. Abrasion is more likely to occur in older people whose gums have pulled back or receded, from the tooth. When gums recede, they leave the top of the root exposed and more susceptible to decay.

Another unavoidable development is the wrinkling, or pursing, of the skin around the mouth. Older cells simply contain less fat and water. People who have lost some or all their teeth are also more likely to experience bone resorption or dissolution. Another natural part of aging is increased dryness in the mouth. But mouth dryness can be caused by other conditions as well. So, talk with your dentist if you are experiencing dryness, and talk with your dentist in general about your mouth and the natural process of aging.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice.  Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,

39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236.  330-650-0360.

www.drshooverandyanda.com

The gut microbiome dominates the headlines, but it’s not the only collection of tiny organisms that live inside you and affect your health. The oral microbiome — which populates the mouth and connects with the sinuses, larynx, trachea, and lungs — harbors more than 700 species of bacteria. How do those bacteria get there, what do they do, and why should you be glad they mostly survived COVID-19?

Where do the bacteria in the oral microbiome originate? Many of the organisms have been with you since you were a young child. Food is a factor, but there are many others: the people you kiss, the stuff you touch before bringing your hand to your mouth, and the strains that grow on your old lip gloss. Nearly everything that enters your mouth has bacteria.

Why don’t toothpaste and mouthwash kill the oral microbiome? You can kill surface bacteria with a thorough brush and gargle, but bacteria lodged deep in the gums, tongue and other soft tissue survive to replace them, which is why you go to bed minty and wake up with morning breath. And that’s OK. Those good bacteria are vital to maintaining oral health and for the health of the lungs.

How does that bacteria get from the mouth to the lungs? You inhale small amounts of saliva throughout your day. While this sounds unpleasant, it isn’t necessarily bad. While we don’t fully understand the impact on health, we do know the bacteria that enter your lungs impact your immune system, sometimes detrimentally but sometimes beneficially.

If you, your family, or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice.  Refer someone you love to someone you trust!

Presented as a service to the community by Doctors Hoover and Yanda,

    39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236.  330-650-0360.

www.drshooverandyanda.com