The concept of dental age is surprising to people when they first ear it. Dental age is independent of chronological age.
From a biological stand point, we are youthful until we reach maturity around age thirty, we are adults from thirty to sixty years, and elder from sixty on. From a dental stand point, we are youthful at any age as long as we have close to a full compliment of teeth or its equivalent and the supporting tissues are in good health.
An adult dental age would be consistent with fixed bridges, small removable partial dentures, or bone loss around the teeth due to periodontal disease. We are considered dental elders when we have full dentures or extensive partial dentures.
Unlike chronological age, we can choose to stop aging dentally. Just make sure to schedule regular cleanings, and please contact us for a consultation on repairing damaged, painful, or missing teeth.
