Changes in oral health and condition with age

In recent years, there has been a dramatic shift in the overall oral health status of populations in the developed world: people are living longer and retaining more natural teeth into old age. While this can be viewed as a sign of improvement, this situation brings its own problems. The prevalence of caries, enamel erosion and chronic periodontal disease increases with age and, for the individual, the effects of these oral diseases also accumulate over time. New problems arise in consequence, for example the prevalence of dentine hypersensitivity increases as roots are exposed due to increasing gingival recession. Plaque control can become more difficult with increasingly complex restorations and calculus accumulates. There are also issues relevant to social confidence: tooth colour darkens with ageing, in terms of intrinsic colour and also extrinsic tooth stain, both of which can affect perception of overall loss of whiteness. In this overall context, the role of personal oral care products and daily oral hygiene routines becomes even more important. This review examines how oral health and condition of the mouth changes with age and describes the potential for modern day toothpastes to reduce unwanted effects that occur during the ageing process.