The examination of your mouth begins with an examination of your mind!
How old is your mouth? Sometimes our mouths age faster than we do! We attempt to age your mouth so that we can better anticipate the types of problems you may encounter in the future. We classify mouths into three categories-old mouths, adult mouths, and youthful mouths.

By comparing your chronological age with your dental age, we can better predict if your mouth is aging faster than you are. How old is your mouth? Read on.

The Old Mouth
The old mouth is usually characterized by multiple missing teeth. The loss of teeth usually results in a detrimental change in the bite, the overloading of teeth and soft tissue, and bone loss around the remaining teeth due to stress and strain. Often the teeth are worn, chipped, cracked and broken due to poor bite relationships. If you wear dentures or a removable partial denture, you have an old mouth. Old mouths are the most difficult to restore and maintain in health. In the past, it was almost impossible to prevent the future loss of the remaining teeth. The good news is that with implant dentistry, it is now possible to replace missing teeth and bone and restore these old mouths to good health and function. If you wear dentures and partials, and you enjoy eating and an active social life, implant dentistry can probably give you a new lease on life. If I suffered from an old mouth, I would pursue a future that included dental implants.

The Adult Mouth
The adult mouth is usually defined by many fillings, crowns, and repairs. You may find a few missing teeth or retained baby teeth. Some bone has usually been lost around a few teeth. The bite relationship is usually less than ideal due to the way and order that the teeth have been repaired. Often jaw joint noises, pain, and derangements are present. These types of mouths are usually the result of a lot of repair work (fillings and single unit caps) in the early teens and twenties. Many patients over forty fall into this category and can be restored and maintained in good health if the patient is properly motivated. Careful attention to the bite relationship and any habits (grinding, clenching) that are present is imperative to prevent adult mouths from becoming old mouths.

The Youthful Mouth
Youthful mouths are characterized by healthy smiles, gums, and joints. The teeth, if damaged in the past, have been restored with gold and porcelain fillings designed to last many years. The teeth show little or no wear and the bite is stable. The gums are pink and healthy, are not inflamed, and do not bleed when touched. Youthful mouths are not a product of good luck or good genes. They are the result of excellent home care and excellent dental treatment. Most youthful mouths stay young because the patients choose the best for themselves.

In Which Category Do You Fit?
So, how would you categorize your mouth? More importantly, what category would you prefer it to be in? Even if your current dental health is not ideal, excellent home care coupled with good restorative dentistry can create youthful mouths for almost every patient. Our next topic should provide you with some critical information necessary to achieve and maintain excellent dental health.

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