Mouth and Nose

Generally, when people are in their 50s, the abilities to taste and smell start to gradually diminish. The abilities to taste with the tongue and to smell with the nose are both needed to enjoy the full range of flavors in food. The tongue can identify only basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salt. More subtle and complex flavors (raspberry, for example) require the sense of smell as well.

As people age, the number and the sensitivity of taste buds on the tongue decrease. These changes tend to reduce the ability to taste sweet and salt more than the ability to taste bitter and sour. The ability to smell declines slightly. Strong smells remain easy to detect, but more subtle smells become more difficult to notice and identify. As a result, many foods tend to taste bitter, and foods with subtle smells may taste bland.

Older people may notice that their mouth feels dry more often. As people age, less saliva is produced. However, dry mouth may result from a disorder or the use of certain drugs. Dry mouth further reduces the ability to taste and smell the aromas of food.

All of these changes contribute to a loss of taste. To compensate, older people may add more spices, including salt, to their food. If too much salt is used, certain health problems, such as high blood pressure, can result.

As people age, the gums recede slightly. Consequently, the lower parts of the teeth are exposed to food particles and bacteria. Also, tooth enamel tends to wear away. These changes make the teeth more susceptible to decay and cavities (caries), which make tooth loss more likely.