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National Institute on Aging

Taking Care of Your 

Teeth and Mouth

Healthy teeth and gums make it easy 

for you to eat well and enjoy good food. 

Several problems can affect the health of 

your mouth, but good care should keep 

your teeth and gums strong as you age.

Tooth Decay

Teeth are covered in a hard, outer 

coating called enamel. Every day, a thin 

film of bacteria called dental plaque 

builds up on your teeth. The bacteria in 

plaque produce acids that can harm 

enamel and cause cavities. Brushing and 

flossing your teeth can prevent decay, but 

once a cavity forms, to avoid further 

damage, a dentist must fix it with a filling.

Use fluoride toothpaste to protect your 

teeth from decay. If you are at a higher risk 

for tooth decay (for example, if you have a 

dry mouth because of a condition you have 

or medicines you take), you might need 

more fluoride. Your dentist or dental 

hygienist may give you a fluoride treatment 

during an office visit or may tell you to use 

a fluoride gel or mouth rinse at home.

Gum Disease

Gum disease begins when plaque 

builds up along and under your gum line. 

Plaque causes an infection that hurts the 

gum and bone that hold your teeth in 

place. A mild form of gum disease may 

make your gums red, tender, and more 

likely to bleed. This problem, called 

gingivitis, can often be fixed by brushing 

and flossing every day.

A more severe form of gum disease, 

called periodontitis, must be treated by a 

dentist. If not treated, this infection can 

lead to sore, bleeding gums, painful 

chewing problems, and even tooth loss. 

To prevent gum disease:

■ Brush your teeth twice a day with

fluoride toothpaste.

■ Floss regularly.

■ Visit your dentist routinely for a 

checkup and cleaning. Tell the dentist 

about any medical conditions you have 

and medications you take.

■ Eat a well-balanced diet.

■ Quit smoking. Smoking increases your 

risk for gum disease.
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How to Clean Your Teeth 

and Gums

There is a right way to brush and floss

your teeth. Every day:

■ Gently brush your teeth on all sides with 

a soft-bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste.

Replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months.

■ Use small circular motions and short 

back-and-forth strokes.

■ Brush carefully and gently along your 

gum line.

■ Lightly brush your tongue or use a tongue 

scraper to help keep your mouth clean.

■ Clean between your teeth and mouth 

with dental floss, prethreaded flossers, a

water flosser, or a similar product. This 

removes plaque and leftover food that a 

toothbrush can’t reach.

■ Rinse after you floss.

How to Floss

1 Hold floss 

as shown.

2 Use floss 

between 

upper teeth.

3 Curve floss like 

a “C” around 

each tooth.

People with arthritis or other conditions 

that limit hand motion may find it hard to 

hold and use a toothbrush. Some helpful 

tips are:

■ Use an electric or battery-operated

toothbrush.

■ Buy a toothbrush with a larger handle.

■ Attach the toothbrush handle to your 

hand with a wide elastic band.

See your dentist if brushing or flossing 

causes your gums to bleed or hurts your 

mouth. If you have trouble flossing, a floss 

holder may help. Ask your dentist to show 

you the right way to floss.

Dentures

Sometimes, false teeth (dentures) are 

needed to replace badly damaged teeth or 

teeth lost because of gum disease. Partial 

dentures may be used to fill in one or more 

missing teeth. Dentures may feel strange at 

first. In the beginning, your dentist may 

want to see you often to make sure the 

dentures fit. Over time, your gums will 

change shape, and your dentures may need 

to be adjusted or replaced. Be sure to let 

your dentist handle these adjustments.
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Be careful when wearing dentures 

because it may be harder for you to feel 

hot foods and drinks or notice bones in 

your food. When learning to eat with 

dentures, it may be easier if you:

■ Start with soft, non-sticky food.

■ Cut your food into small pieces.

■ Chew slowly using both sides of

your mouth.

Keep your dentures clean and free from 

food that can cause stains or bad breath. 

Avoid small crunchy foods that can get 

trapped under the dentures and hurt your 

gums. Brush dentures every day with a 

denture-care product, and soak them in 

water or a denture-cleansing liquid at night. 

Be sure to leave them out of your mouth 

while you sleep to prevent swollen gums.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth happens when you don’t 

have enough saliva, or spit, to keep your 

mouth wet. It can make it hard to eat, 

swallow, taste, and even speak. Dry mouth 

can increase your risk of tooth decay, fungal 

infections of the mouth, and cavities. Many 

common medicines can cause this 

problem. For example, medicines for high 

blood pressure, depression, and bladdercontrol issues often cause dry mouth.

There are things you can do that may 

help. Try sipping water or sugarless drinks. 

Don’t smoke, and avoid alcohol, caffeine, 

soft drinks, and acidic fruit juices. Sugarless hard candy or sugarless gum that is a 

little tart may help. Your dentist or doctor 

might suggest using artificial saliva to keep 

your mouth wet.

Oral Cancer

Oral cancer can start in any part of the 

mouth or throat, including the tongue. It is 

more likely to happen in people over age 40. 

A dental checkup is a good time for your 

dentist to look for signs of oral cancer. Pain

is not usually an early symptom of the 

disease. Treatment works best before the 

disease spreads. Even if you have lost all 

your natural teeth, you should still see your 

dentist for regular oral cancer exams.

You can lower your risk of getting oral 

cancer in a few ways:

■ Do not use tobacco products, such as 

cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, pipes,

or cigars.

■ If you drink alcohol, do so only 

in moderation.

■ Use lip balm with sunscreen.

■ Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) 

are relatively new, and scientists are still 

learning about their long-term health 

effects. However, we do know e-cigarette 

vapor contains cancer-causing chemicals.

Finding Low-Cost Dental Care

Dental care can be costly. Medicare 

does not cover routine dental care, and 

some States limit dental coverage under 

Medicaid. You may want to check out 

private dental insurance for older people. 
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Make sure you are aware of the cost and 

what services are covered. The following 

resources may help you find low-cost 

dental care:

■ Some dental schools have clinics

where students get experience treating

patients at a reduced cost. Qualified 

dentists supervise the students. Visit 

www.nidcr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/

finding-low-cost-dental-care_0.pdf for a list of 

U.S. dental schools and other places that 

offer affordable care.

■ Dental hygiene schools may offer 

supervised, low-cost care as part of the 

training experience for dental hygienists. 

See schools listed by State at www.adha.

org/dental-hygiene-programs.

■ Call your county or State health 

department to find dental clinics near you

that charge based on your income.

■ To locate a community health center 

near you that offers dental services, visit 

www.findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.

■ United Way chapters may be able to

direct you to free or reduced-cost dental 

services in your community. Call “211” to 

reach a local United Way chapter or visit 

www.unitedway.org/find-your-united-way.

For More Information About 

Healthy Teeth and Gums

American Dental Association

1-800-621-8099 (toll-free)

MouthHealthy@ada.org

www.mouthhealthy.org/en

American Dental Hygienists’ Association

1-312-449-8900

www.adha.org

Health Resources and Services 

Administration Information Center

www.findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov

National Institute of Dental and 

Craniofacial Research

1-866-232-4528 (toll-free)

nidcrinfo@mail.nih.gov

www.nidcr.nih.gov

For more information on health and 

aging, contact: 

National Institute on Aging

Information Center

1-800-222-2225 (toll-free)

1-800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)

niaic@nia.nih.gov

www.nia.nih.gov

Visit www.nia.nih.gov/health to find more 

health and aging information from 

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NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®

March 2020

National Institute

on Aging