How Do Teeth Change As You Age?

As you age, all your body parts also age, along with your teeth. However, there are certain ways using which you can slow down your aging process. It is impossible to stop it completely. With time, these changes affect your teeth’ appearance. Therefore, it is better to know certain dental changes that you may experience. If you spot changes in your teeth suddenly, it’s because of age. Thus, you must visit your dentist in Plymouth, MN. In this article, we will list some ways your teeth change as you age. Here we go!

Internal changes in your teeth

As your teeth age, the significant change you will notice is teeth discoloration and yellow tint. The tooth’s exposed enamel, which is the white-only area, covers the exposed tooth but not the roots. It has a little sheen. Dentin, which is yellow in color and softer than enamel, makes up the majority of a tooth’s rigid structure. Blood vessels and nerves are housed in a tiny hollow chamber found inside each tooth. The hollow chamber gets smaller as we get older, and the dentin gets thicker. The thickening of the dentin gives the tooth a brighter yellow appearance due to the translucency of the enamel.

External changes in your teeth

From the outside, the teeth’ color changes due to the conditions of eating and drinking food items, which impacts your tooth enamel.

Enamel changes

1. Abrasion

Abrasion is the continuous wearing away of enamel by some mechanical process, such as brushing with a hard toothbrush or using toothpaste that is too abrasive (like sandpaper). This thins the enamel and makes it more translucent, showing the yellow dentin more easily.

2. Attrition

The loss of enamel on the biting surfaces causes the teeth to elongate. This is usually the result of grinding and/or clenching during the night. Teeth appear shorter and occasionally fractured or uneven as a result.

3. Erosion

When powerful acids dissolve enamel chemically, this is known as erosion. This may be brought on by consuming acidic drinks, having severe acid reflux, or experiencing frequent vomiting. Additionally, erosion can thin the enamel and give it a yellow appearance. Since the majority of the damage usually occurs on the interior of the teeth, only your dentist will be able to see any noticeable changes.