How a dentist can help older people stay healthy

Everyone needs a good dentist, whether you are a baby with your first teeth appearing or a member of the older generation with few or none of your natural teeth left. Harley Street Dental Clinic offers a full range of general, preventative, and restorative dentistry to patients of all ages.

dental-bridges-harley-streetIt’s actually a misconception that older people will lose their natural teeth because of the ageing process. Whilst the over-75s are the most likely to experience tooth loss, it can in fact affect people of all ages, and there is no reason that – with good oral hygiene practices and regular visits to both the dentist and the hygienist – you can’t have a healthy set of natural teeth for life.

Recent studies have shown that the vast majority of us still have at least some of our natural teeth. A survey carried out by the Oral Health Foundation as part of National Smile Month 2016 discovered that just 7% of UK adults have none of their natural teeth left. Compare this with 37% in 1978, and we can see how much things have improved. What’s more, 86% of the population in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland now have 21 or more natural teeth.

To ensure that your teeth stay healthy and strong in your later years, you need to visit your dentist on a regular basis. The standard advice is to come for a check-up every six months, but at our Harley Street clinic we are keen to emphasise that some people need to come in more frequently. You should always listen to what your dentist says and follow their advice.

If you have experienced some tooth loss, it is nothing to panic about. Your Harley Street dentist has a number of methods of replacing missing teeth, including standard dentures, dental bridges, and dental implants.

The latter are our preferred option for replacing missing teeth at our Harley Street clinic, because they are the only permanent way to combat tooth loss.

Your Harley Street dentist can use implants combined with either a single crown, a dental bridge, or full dentures to restore natural function to your jaw.