Keeping your mouth clean as you get older is just as important, if not more so, than when you are younger. As you get older you can get, pardon the expression, ‘long in the tooth’. Your gums may appear to shrink, exposing sensitive dentine areas. This can occur as a result of past gum disease or over-brushing. The result is that nooks and crannies of your teeth become exposed that previously were covered with gum. These areas add to the challenge of cleaning. Do not give up though – with the correct technique and help from the dental team, you can often keep your teeth forever.

Your flow of saliva might drop a bit – which make you more vulnerable to tooth decay. Saliva is very effective at neutralising the acid produced by the bacteria responsible for tooth decay. You can help protect the exposed dentine by using a fluoride mouthwash. Watch the sugar consumption as well, because decay progresses very quickly in the relatively soft dentine.

If you have dentures, you may find food lodges around it – and it is not always convenient to clean off. That’s why it is really ideal to thoroughly clean your teeth and dentures twice a day and leave your dentures out at night.