Flash a toothy smile, bite into juicy apple, kiss your partner smack on the lips - when your dental health’s tip-top, there’s no need to hesitate before enjoying life’s little pleasures.

But healthy teeth are more than a social asset. Many of the world’s healthiest, most disease-fighting foods are crunchy (think fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts) and require a good set of teeth to eat them. When your teeth hurt or fall out, your diet goes downhill. Numerous studies worldwide have confirmed that people who have lost teeth avoid hard and fibrous foods and as a result eat fewer fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Healthy gums guard against major health problems, too. A growing stack of research shows that even low-level gum disease revs up your immune system around the clock, fuelling the chronic, low-level inflammation that contributes to clogged arteries, high blood sugar and perhaps even Alzheimer’s disease.

Staying on top of oral health can get harder as we age. Most older people have receding gums, a sign of early gum disease, and half already have periodontitis, or advanced gum disease. Your natural supply of mouth-cleansing saliva also declines with age, and some health conditions and the medicines used to treat them cause lower saliva output. Less saliva is one reason older teeth ‘grow’ a bigger layer of sticky, colourless plaque (a mix of microscopic food particles and bacteria) faster than younger people’s teeth do. As if what weren’t enough, natural changes is dentine the bone like tissue beneath the translucent enamel coating on your teeth - may make your teeth look darker.

What’s more, lower saliva production and more resulting plaque increase the risk of cavities in older people. And because the sensitivity of nerves in the teeth is also reduced, it may take longer to notice the little twinges that mean a tiny cavity’s growing just one reason why you may have more untreated cavities, or worse ones, as you get older. And if you’ve developing new ones in surprising spots, such as underneath or next to existing fillings.

Experts now say that the most cavity prone age group isn’t the under 10s; it’s the over 65s. But there’s one positive reason for that: better oral health means more people are keeping more of their teeth. The fact is, as recently as 1960, two out of three people over the age of 75 had lost all of their natural teeth. That number has dropped significantly, but still, gum disease and tooth decay have conspired to claim the teeth of about one in four older people and to raise the risk of cavities for the rest of us.

Your best move for eversing or preventing the tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath and dry mouth that accelerate as the years pass? Give your teeth and gums the extra TLC that they and you deserve. Here’s how.

To maintain healthy teeth and gums
Brush up your expectations When Canadian researchers polled older people about the state of their teeth and gums, they got a jaw dropping shock: most said their oral health was great, yet 49 per cent believed that tooth loss was inevitable with age. But this is simply not true. It’s quite possible to keep healthy teeth for a lifetime. This is another area in which our attitudes to healthy ageing may have to catch up with the reality.

Faithfully follow the basics Unless you’ve been living on a deserted island for the past 30 years, you’ve heard this a million times: brush twice a day and floss once a day as a minimum. Use an electric toothbrush if you can studies show they clean away plaque much more efficiently than brushing by hand.

Brush along to your egg timer Two minutes of brushing, with light to medium pressure, is the most effective way to remove the most plaque, say researchers from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Longer and harder isn’t better in fact, it may damage your gums as well as the softer, thinner enamel on the sides of your teeth.

‘Although we found that you have to brush your teeth reasonably long and hard to get rid of the harmful plaque that causes dental diseases, our research shows that once you go beyond a certain point, you aren’t being any more effective,’ says lead researcher Peter Heasman, a professor of periodontology at the university. ‘You could actually be harming your gums and possible your teeth.

To prevent overzealous brushing, use a soft bristled toothbrush and hold it like a pencil, moving it in circles rather than up and down. Think ‘sweeping’ rather than ‘scrubbing’.

Invest in a floss holder A disposable one-use holder or the type you thread with your favourite floss are both good choices if you find you don’t have the dexterity to clean carefully between your teeth by grasping the floss with your hands. Floss once a day it will take off plaque and leftover food that a toothbrush can’t reach. Be sure to rinse afterwards.

Clean your tongue, too Use your toothbrush or a special tongue scraper to remove filmy material gently from your tongue. In one study of 51 sets of twings twins who added tongue-brushing to their tooth-cleaning and flossing routine reduced gum bleedingby 38 per cent after just two weeks and had less bad breath. In contrast, the twins’ brothers or sisters who didn’t brush their tongues had 4 per cent more gum bleeding. Cleaning your tongue helps to remove bacteria that take up residence just below the gumline, damaging gums and leading to bigger problems.

Bleeding gums and bad breath are often the first signs of poor oral hygiene that may eventually lead to further periodontal disease. And it’s well worth investing in a proper tongue scraper. In a the chemicals responsible for bad breath were reduced by 75 per cent after using a tongue scraper, but only by 45 per cent after tongue cleaning with a toothbrush.

Rinse in the morning for your gums at night for your teeth : Studies show that rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash in the morning can significantly cut your risk of gum disease. But if you’ve had cavities recently, have unfluoridated water at home or have a dry mouth, you should also consider using fluoride mouthwash at night. And if you’re very cavity prone, your dentist may suggest coating your teeth with a special long-lasting fluoride gel that can protect your teeth between dental visits.

Skip fizzy drinks That means diet colas, too. The sugar in standard colas is certainly bad for your teeth, but even carbonated drinks with artificial sweeteners contain such strong acids that they can erode the protective enamel on your teeth. Most fizzy drinks are nearly as acidic as battery acid. The best bet for healthy teeth: sip water or unsweetened iced tea (tea may help to guard against gum disease, some research suggests). If you must have fizzy drinks, the Dental Health Foundation recommends sipping them through a straw to avoid contact with teeth, and drinking only with meals. Finish meal with cheese or milk to help to neutralise the acid, or chew sugar-free gum afterwards to boost saliva flow to wash it out. Then wait at least an hour before cleaning your teeth, so you’re not brushing away the weakned tooth surface.

Chew xyltol sweetened gum if you’re cavity prone Xylitol, a sugar alcohol made from substances found in birch trees and other woods, may help to lower levels of cavity producing acids made by bacteria in your mouth, researchers report. Even if xylitol levels are low, they may help somewhat and sugar-free gum can also help to remove bits of food stuck deep in crevices on the chewing surfaces of your teeth.
Stiff hands? Pad your brush If arthritis has made your finger joints stiff or painful, gripping your brush for long enough to do all the cleaning your teeth need may be a challenge. Try slipping a piece of foam tubing over the end of your toothbrush (you’ll find these in a bike shop or hardward shop). Other options: try a longer handled brush to reach the back of your mouth more easily or slip a wide elastic band over your hand and tuck your brush handle underneath it. The band will help to hold up the brush so you don’t have to grip it as tightly.

Treat bleeding gums as seriously as you would a cut anywhere else You wouldn’t live with a scrape that made your hands bleed every time you washed them, and you shouldn’t live with gums that bleed every time you brush or floss. If this is happening to you, first make sure you’re faithfully brushing and flossing, then add an anti-gingivitis mouthwash. It bleeding persists, book a dental appointment.

Water for subtle (and not-so-subtitle) signs of gum disease You may have it if you have any of these symptoms: red, swollen or tender gums; gums that have pulled away from the teeth; persistent bad breath; pus between the teeth and gums (causing bad breath) : loose or separating teeth; a change in the way the teeth fit together, or in the fit of partial dentures. You know what to do : call the dentist.

See your dentist regularly Keep up with whatever appointments your dentist recomments, and ask each time if you need a professional cleaning, which removes calculus hardened plaque that can make gums recede even better than brushing and flossing. If your teeth bleed when you brush or floss, book an extra appointment for your dentist to check for signs of oral cancer and other problems.

Investigate colour changes Some teeth darken naturally with age, but sometimes darkening teeth can signal more than a cosmetic problem. Teeth can be discoloured by calculus, tartar or periodontaldisease. Staining of the surface can also be caused by certain antibiotics or other types of medication, or through tiny cracks that take up stains. Whitening treatments are most effective for teeth that have become discoloured due to yellowing from age, tobacco, red wine, coffee or tea.

Turn in earlier and stop smoking Factory workers who slept seven to eight hours per night and who didn’t smoke cigarettes were less likely to have gum disease than those who snoozed for six hours or less, say researchers. Those who didn’t smoke and controlled their stress had better oral health, too. The connection? Lack of sleep, high stress and smoking all lower immunity, giving infection under the gumline free rein.

To battle dry mouth
Review your medication with your doctor Drugs that can cause reduced saliva production include antihistamines, decongestants, painkillers and diuretics. Ask if you can change prescriptions or cut back.

Buy a water bottle with a shoulder strap then fill it up, slip it one and go Sipping water throughout the day can help to remedy decreased saliva. Carry your own so you’ve always got a no-cost supply at the ready. Slip the shoulder strap over your head and under one arm so you’re carrying your bottle messenger style. Simply hooking the strap over your shoulder, as you would and handbag, could lead to neck and back pain.

Check out sugar free gum Stimulate saliva flow by chewing on sugar-free gum, especially after meals. Look for brands containing xylitol, a natural, sugar-free sweetener that can reduce levels of mouth bacteria, helping to fight periodontal disease and tooth decay as well.

Test drive aids for dry mouths Artificial saliva products, available as sprays, gels or lozenges, may make your mouth more comfortable. Your GP may prescribe them, or some are available over the counter.