Fluoridated water and regular checkups throughout life means most seniors today reach their elder years without one detail of their grandparents' generation -- a glass on the bedside table holding a full set of dentures. Keeping all or most of one\'s natural teeth throughout life is a vast improvement over false ones, but like everything else on an aging body, they need extra care and attention in later life.

Senior dental care isn't so different from that of any other era in life. The same rules apply: Brush at least twice a day, floss at least once and see your doctor for regular checkups. But older people are prone to complications younger ones aren't, and should be aware of.

WebMD reports that seniors are more likely to see their teeth darkening with age, partially as a result of natural changes in the dentin, complicated by a lifetime of eating staining foods. Older people may find their sense of taste reduced, or have dry mouth caused by chemotherapy or other medications. All of these should be discussed with your dentist at your regular visits.

Dentists and doctors are increasingly making the link between oral health and that of the rest of the body. (It's now routine for dentists to take full health histories, check blood pressure and do other monitoring tasks more often associated with MDs.) Infections in the mouth don't always stay there, so it\'s important that any pain, tenderness or other changes in your teeth and gums be checked out promptly.