Common Oral Health Problems of Seniors
Many people take the health of their mouth and teeth for granted and only note its importance when it is gone. This section reviews some of the basics of oral health and the expected changes that accompany the aging process.

Myths and Misconceptions
Many people take the health of their mouth and teeth for granted and only note its importance when it is gone. This section reviews some of the basics of oral health and the expected changes that accompany the aging process.


• Total tooth loss is an inevitable consequence of seniors.
• Teeth, either natural or artificial, are essential for good nutrition.
• Denture wearers do not need routine oral examinations by a dentist.
• Oral dryness or xerostomia is an age-related change.
• Dental decay (caries) is a disease of the young; periodontal disease is a disease of seniors.
• You should only see a dentist when in pain.
• Not everyone who smokes gets cancer, so why quit?
• The only way to stop dentures from clicking is to get new ones.
• If it doesn't hurt, it is not cancer.

If tooth loss is not a consequence of aging, then why do so many older adults wear dentures? Primarily because dentistry did not have a preventive orientation when today's older people were young. Years ago, dentists were more apt to remove teeth than to restore them. Those few older adults who still had their own teeth were viewed as unusual and perhaps even unlucky since they were still at risk of pain and discomfort.