One thing I was never aware of is that older people often have a saliva reduction, some more severely. So then their teeth tend to decay and they lose them. They don't need radiation to make this happen, it happens to them as part of their particular aging process, which may be exacerbated by various drugs they are on. That is not to say older people all have dentures, no, no, no. But there are some older people that struggle just the way we do with lack of saliva. I myself don't have tons of saliva at 12 months out, but my mouth is certainly moist, and I can eat some foods that others can't (bread, pita chips, for instance) so I guess I am doing ok. My husband, a GP dentist, tells me that I have lots more saliva than several of his older patients, who brush, floss, and fluoride their remaining teeth, as it is a battle for them.

It is, as David pointed out, the dry mouth (xerostomia) that creates much of the problem. Then of course, the saliva that we have left may not have the same protective properties our "old" saliva possessed. Now of course, I am not going to decide just what defines those "older people" in terms of numerical age. I was younger, now I'm getting on the far side of middle aged, I guess.

Best,
Anne