Off to mirror to check my lower teeth...

The shrinking thing is for sure real. I've lost an inch from 5'5" to 5'4", and I'm not happy about it.

My mom was always tall. I think she was about 5'9". By the time she passed in her 90s, she was shorter than me (I was still 5'5" then).

I am definitely shrinking. However, not in girth, but in height. I was 5'2" and now I'm a tad bit shorter. I've had the bone density tests, and that's all good. So I''ve upped my core strengthening routine.

I read that article and shook my head in agreement with all but the migraines, which i never had. I always had a crooked lower tooth, but now they are all wacky. Unfortunatel as one moved forward it pushed an upper tooth forward, too.

I used to be5’6” but Ive lost an inch.

The thing about lower teeth crowding is a little more complex than that, and it has an anthropological history association that's also related to the current state of wisdom teeth --but not that your wisdom teeth are pushing on the others (or that's too simplistic).

In prehistory, we had a very coarse diet and our teeth would wear down rapidly. This was seen in indigenous North American populations until the 20th century (with seal skin processing and so forth).

Our teeth are tapered so they are smaller toward the gums, so when the teeth wore down, open spaces would develop and with a coarse diet, that would damage the gums in between teeth. So the teeth shifting toward the middle was protective.

And as our molars wore down and shifted forward, we would get a new set of molars in the back, about halfway through our life (19 or so) and then but the time they wore out, too we probably died of something or other before they wore down completely.

And people didn't eat refined sugar in most populations so decay was a Middle Ages wealthy phenomenon in big part.

Since our teeth don't get smaller as they wear down, something has to give and the narrowest teeth, in the lower anterior can start overlapping.

This is exacerbated by becoming more visible as we age because our lip line falls, and some people end up showing a lot of bottom teeth.

The other thing is that since our jaws are smaller and we don't really need wisdom teeth, they are disappearing.

The 3rd molars are the most common to be missing or partially missing, followed by a premolar (which replaces the baby molars) some of which are sometimes extracted in orthodontics for space. Followed by a lateral incisor. So actually people who are missing teeth in the absence of other reasons for partial agenesis, are actually Ahead of others in the evolutionary scale because less teeth is the direction we are headed evolutionarily.

My teeth have been shifting for maybe 10 years? I had a barely perceptible space btwn 2 top teeth (not the two middle ones, where it could be quirkily cute) which has gotten bigger. It’s become a joke in my family. My bottom teeth are a bit crooked too. I had a ton of orthodontia as a kid but wasn’t good about wearing the retainer after. I’ve decided I don’t care enough to spend $5K on invisalign, although I seriously considered it a few years ago.

My voice is hoarse at times but that’s from laryngeal reflux (but maybe that’s an age thing to begin with!?).

At my last physical the tech measured me at 1/2” taller than usual, LOL, so I’m winning there!

My mother and grandmother both lost a good four inches in height (4'9" and 4'6" at the end). I got a little taller when I lost a little weight but that is postural I guess.

Thank you for that more detailed explanation of aging wrt tooth overlap, Pal. Like many I had my wisdom teeth removed and (so far) have not missed them 😎

I used to be 5'4" but am now 5'2". I noticed when my 5'2" daughter seemed taller than usual, kept checking for what shoes she was wearing, and nope, it was me shrinking. I've also lost about 10 lbs. default weight, so I figure it went wherever my height disappeared to.

My bottom front teeth were crowded and getting more and more crooked, so I embarked on Invisalign two years ago at 78 and am now wearing retainers. I probably would have finished earlier if I'd worn them the prescribed 20-22 hours/day. It just wasn't practical for me. Anyway, it's pretty cool how even old crooked teeth can come back into alignment.

I don't think I can get my height back.

The office I worked in for 28 yrs, Invisalign for older adults to straighten their lower anterior teeth specifically was a cash cow. The patients asked for it, never complained about paying for it, and were compliant. Same with bleaching. Some of those same patients left the office when he dropped an insurance and some of them would have an out of pocket, or an increased out of pocket for having their teeth cleaned, even though that was much less expensive than the elective procedures they wanted.

Thank you, Pal. That is very interesting.

There were times that I thought it would have been easier and faster to just do conventional braces. Eating is impossible with Invisalign and it rules out snacking too. A great weight-loss aid but I was trying to put weight on. And once I took the trays out I'd forget for hours. Anyway, they work. My teeth have been crowded my entire adult life and now I can floss without shredding.

Interesting. I did not know that about teeth but have noticed I have one lateral incisor that is turning slightly. I've always been a little vain about my teeth - naturally white at my age to the degree my dentist often comments and I was the only one in my family who did not require braces, had a smooth even smile from the time I sprouted teeth.

If my voice has changed no one has mentioned it but we saw a pair of sisters recently and the voice of the younger (well into her 80's though) was distinctly deeper and a little hoarse. Enough so that DH and I discussed it on the way home that evening. The sister a couple of years older seemed unchanged (and OT but what a beautiful woman at 90 with gorgeous skin and hair, wearing a little flawless makeup!).

I am shorter but am very much aware of some scoliosis taking place. My endocrinologist watches my bone density closely.

I've lost an inch in height...and...just got my conventional metal braces off after 20 months. I'm hoping my teeth whiten 2 shades like these toothpastes claim. haha I'll give them a chance before spending money doing trays with the dentist.

Thankfully the teeth haven't started moving yet.

I have not noticed a difference in my talking voice, but I notice when I sing that I just don't have the same range and tone that I had when I was younger.

I have lost half an inch of height. My mom and both sisters were like the incredible shrinking women. One is only 2 years older than me but has lost at least 2 inches of height at age 65. Betty, who passed away a year ago at age 72 had lost about 5 inches before she passed away.

After menopause I stopped having technicolor migraines (where you lay in a dark room with your eyes shut and every time your heart beats you see flashes of color). They were replaced with an Ocular Migraine that causes double vision. Never get the headache, but can have double vision for 2-3 days, usually only in one eye. Not as debilitating as the technicolor migraines, but double vision when you're a data analyst is a bitch.

The other thing that stopped after menopause was my progesterone-induced dermatitis. I would get a rash 3 days before my period that lasted about 10 days. Some months it would be just my hands, some I would rash from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet with an eczema/psoriasis type type rash that could lift my nails off the nail bed or cause me to look like I had a bad chemical peel on my face. Worst part was the years where the doctors kept telling me that eczema and/or psoriasis isn't hormone related and treated me like I was crazy. At least now this is a recognized auto immune disorder.

One of the ”signs” in the article was a change in your voice. As DH got older and as his Parkinson’s advanced, his lovely, sonorous voice began to get thinner, softer, and higher pitched. I think we’ve all seen older people portrayed as having quavering voices. I did a little googling to find out how to help him strengthen his voice. The answer? Sing! Sing lots and sing loudly. There are other exercises, but singing is the easiest.

Nicole, after I finished my Invisaligns a couple of years ago, I talked to the orthodontist about tooth whitening using my retainer trays. He said he thought Crest Whitestrips did just as well as trays. I use the Whitestrips periodically with good results. (Nothing is as a good as the Zoom my daughter has done annually!)

Well, I haven’t lost any height yet and i wouldn’t mind it if I did. Maybe my body is waiting until I turn 80, lol!

Thanks for the detailed explanation about teeth, Pal. A classic case for me. I’m in the last few weeks of Invisaligns at age 76 (high 5 to you, Bunny!). This is round 3 of braces for me having worn them at 13 or so, then again in my late 30’s. My bottom middle teeth started to overlap again a few years ago and i have another tooth next to the center on top that tends to turn so i decided I needed to fix these issues. I too haven’t been quite as diligent about wearing them as much as I should during the day.

Interesting about the wisdom teeth too. I had my impacted lowers and 1 upper cut out in my 20’s. One upper never formed. I had no idea of the significance of this no-show.

My dentist, years back, told me our teeth tend to shift forward as we get older, so I wasn't surprised to notice when they began to get a bit crooked. I used to have naturally perfectly straight teeth - so straight I was often asked if I'd had braces.

My wisdom teeth were removed when I was 18.

I also learned some while ago that adult tooth straightening doesn't always last.

My dental hygienist pointed out that the crowding made them hard to clean and floss as well as the misalignment causing damage so i used invisalign in 2018 wear the retsiners which id need anyway for clenching and grinding st night so glad i did!!

Same here, mjcheppa. I was kind of over the poor aesthetics of my crooked bottom teeth, but when both my hygienist and dentist asked if I would consider orthodontia, I listened. I actually wish I'd done it years ago.

For YEARS I thought I was 5'2, but in recent years discovered I am actually 5'3 (still nothing to brag about LOL). So far I'm holding steady at 5'3. Bone density testing is important! Glad your Dr. is watching Bunny. I had a bone density test last year, my first. All was good. However, my sister had one and discovered she has osteopenia. She is 3 years younger than me.

Tina Marie, I think you might have one of my lost inches! Give it back!!!

After breaking my leg last year I had a bone density test and I have osteopenia. No surprise, I'm small boned and lightweight. I take Fosamax once a week now.

I used to get menstrual related headaches, sometimes they'd be awful. I do not miss these!

I forgot to mention the migraines. Mine have become a good bit better and not as debilitating, just as described in the article. They are also less frequent. Mostly mine have been weather related and still are and respond well to the medication I have for relief.

Bunny I’m 5’9” and would happily give up an inch or 2 if i could. It is so hard to find clothes that fit.

I had my first bone density test a few years ago and it surprisingly showed serious osteoporosis in the spine and hips. Been on fosamax for a while now. Last bone density test showed drastic improvement. I think I get another one this summer and if good, I can go off meds. Looking forward to that. I hate taking meds.

I had "perfect" teeth and never used braces as a kid. Noticed my lower teeth were shifting, so I got Invisalign 2 years ago. About 6 months ago I was traveling and got sick, so I didn't wear my retainer at night for a few weeks. One of the bottom teeth made a big move and my lower retainer no longer fit. Went to the dentist and I was still under my Invisalign warranty, so I am on tray 7 of 10 for a tune-up of the lower teeth at no extra cost!