09/27/2026
MISTAKES THAT AGE YOUR SMILE: Dr. Arwinder Judge, chief clinical officer at Aspen Dental, shared with Fox News Digital the common mistakes that may be prematurely aging your smile — and what to do instead.
1. Skipping regular dental visits, assuming no pain means no problem
The pattern that comes up most is people waiting until something hurts before they come in, and by that point the damage has usually been building for years. Gum disease and decay can progress for a long time before someone notices anything is wrong, which is part of why more than 1 in 7 adults over 65 have already lost all their teeth, according to the CDC.
One sign people often brush off is bleeding gums during brushing or flossing. Bleeding gums are never normal, and it's usually one of the earliest signals that something needs attention. A routine checkup can catch that kind of issue while it's still simple and inexpensive to treat.
2. Writing off dry mouth as 'just getting older'
Dry mouth is one of the most common things that comes up, and people almost always assume it’s simply something that comes with age. In most cases, it’s tied to medication, things like blood pressure drugs, antidepressants or bladder medications.
Somewhere between 30% and 40% of people over 65 deal with it, according to the American Dental Association. Saliva does a lot of work protecting teeth and gums, so having less of it raises the risk for cavities and gum disease. It's worth mentioning to a dentist or physician rather than just living with it, because often a fairly simple adjustment can make a real difference.
3. Assuming losing teeth or getting gum disease is inevitable with age
This comes up all the time, patients saying something like, "My parents lost their teeth, so I probably will, too," and it's a myth that's worth correcting, because gum disease is preventable regardless of family history. We're seeing fewer older adults lose all their teeth than a generation ago. That shift isn't about genetics changing, but about people catching problems earlier and staying consistent with care. Habits someone builds in their 50s and 60s can shape their mouth decades later.
4. Waiting too long to replace a missing tooth
When someone loses a tooth, the instinct is usually to leave the gap alone if it's not causing trouble day to day, but what people often don't see is that the bone and surrounding teeth start shifting once there's nothing there to hold that space. One missing tooth can quietly turn into a bigger bite or jaw issue over time, and years of eating on one side of the mouth can create problems that reach well beyond the original gap.
The right solution depends on the person, whether that's a bridge, an implant or a partial denture. Timing tends to matter more than most people realize, since addressing it sooner usually means more options down the line.
5. Sticking with old dentures instead of getting them checked
Dentures need the same kind of regular check-ins as natural teeth, since the gums and jawbone keep changing shape as people age. Patients often adjust to an ill-fitting denture instead of getting it relined or replaced, sometimes for years, without realizing there's a better option available to them. That kind of adjustment can lead to sore spots and difficulty eating certain foods comfortably.
Part of what's changed in recent years is access to digital scanning and design tools that support that process, which can shorten the timeline for getting a denture relined or remade.
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