- YOUNG SMILERS CLUB
- THE DEVELOPING MOUTH
- TEENS & YOUNG ADULTS
Age 1 Day – 3 Years
This age is marked by the eruption of the 20 primary (baby) teeth. It is characterized by habits such as thumb sucking, pacifiers, and literally putting anything in their mouths. It is also the time that parents must be aware of what their children eat and drink, provide daily cleaning of teeth, and time of the child’s first official dental visit.
Age 3 – 15 Years
It’s all about growth and development. The growth of the jaws, development and eruption of up to 32 permanent teeth, and developing good oral home care habits as these youth learn to take care of themselves. Close monitoring of growth of the jaws is mandatory as this will affect their bite, appearance, airway, and function of their jaws. This stage hopefully ends with a braces free beautiful smile.
Age 15 – 25 Years
As the youth enter adulthood, the stage is a sometimes carefree time as the body and mouth take care of themselves. While good habits will reap huge rewards for years to come, college and work seem to take precedent as decay and gum disease can be problems. High sugar diets and lack of concentration on good home care can cause problems. In many cases, great smiles abound and our focus is helping this group take ownership of their oral health care.
- THE ADULT SMILE
- THE MID-LIFE MOUTH
- MATURE SMILE CLUB
Age 25 – 40 Years
Self-Image and confidence are crucial and the smile plays a huge role in the busy lives of this group. From work to relationships to play, health is important and oral health is a huge part of this group. Its full ownership of their oral health and they are willing to make investments in shaping their smiles and their health. In many cases, this group is coasting as good oral health is generally easier than in later years.
Age 40 – 35 Years
Establishing and maintaining a relationship with a great dental team is crucial as inflammation, medical conditions, and general health will affect ones oral health. But the good news is that this group has more resources to get the necessary care they need as well as opting to have dental services done to improve their smiles. Wear and tear of the teeth and gums can occur and creating customized care plans is very important. It can include more preventive visits and increased diligence with recommended home care techniques.
Age 65+ Years
Great smiles are common during this stage, but so is an increase in decay and gum disease caused by dry mouth, medical conditions, and physical restrictions causing decreased ability to clean their teeth. The group can see huge swings in their oral health status with the need for more frequent preventive visits, increased home care regiments, and supplemental rinses and products needed to keep their oral health in good shape. In some cases, caregivers become the provider of oral home care. Beginning this stage with good oral health is imperative to deal with the changes that will come later.
