Once your permanent set of teeth grows out, they are supposed to last your whole lifetime. Unfortunately, teeth age and as you get older, the more fragile they become. While we don’t have a guaranteed formula to help you keep your teeth fresh and young, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your teeth stay in good shape throughout your life. Below are some helpful tips on the best adult dental care practices by the decade starting with your twenties.

The Twenties

At this age, your teeth are in the prime of their life. Because of the young age, you don’t have too many concerns about your teeth so it can be easy to forget about your dentist trips. In your twenties, you don’t need much to maintain healthy teeth for the present and future. Just make sure you stay on top of your dentist appointments and don’t forget to brush and floss. Also, it would do you a lot of good to avoid acidic beverages and tobacco as they can have damaging effects on your food.

The Thirties

You’re likely to be facing a lot of stress during this decade. It could be from your career or even family. This stress can bring out a habit of grinding the teeth especially at night when you’re not even conscious. This condition is called grinding and has some effects including headaches, damaging your dental work, or even breaking down healthy teeth. The only solution is to ensure you keep stress levels down through activities like meditation and yoga.

The Forties

As you approach the ripe age of forty, fillings that you may have had earlier start to wear out. If you’re experiencing this, there is no need to be concerned as it is common and there are solutions to the problem. Crowns and root canals are some of the most common solutions and thanks to modern medicine, these processes are often painless. Other than that, it is critical to continue dental care practices such as regular appointments to the dentist and brushing your teeth regularly.

The Fifties

50 is the age where most people start to change their sleeping habits which could cause sleep apnea. This is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing and can occur at any age, but is prevalent in people over 50. In addition to the normal dental care, practices make sure you’re getting enough sleep.

The Sixties

In your sixties, your body will start to change and there’s a high chance you’ll be taking medications to take care of your aging body. Most of these meds can cause a dry mouth by reducing the amount of saliva in the mouth. Therefore you should make sure that you drink a lot of water and visit your dentist more often. Any time you have a problem, be sure to seek medical assistance as soon as possible.

The Seventies & Beyond

Here it might be a little difficult to keep up with daily dental hygiene practices. Having something like an electric toothbrush or dental floss holder can be helpful. Also, ensure that you keep up with your dentist appointments.