Senior Oral Health Care And Solutions
Growing older doesn’t mean that you should accept decline in oral health
As we become older, our bodies don’t react the same as they did when we were younger. Many of us will know the aches and pains that we suffer when we do the things that we used to do in our younger years with no problem at all. We can’t reverse ageing of course, but we can at least manage it and especially when it comes to our oral health, there are many things that we can do to keep our teeth and gums healthy well into our later years.
In today’s blog, we will look at ways that our Ipswich patients can help to take better care of their oral health and also, how the Foxhall Dental Practice can help to restore any teeth that do suffer from any problems.
Preventative care
Most things that older people can do to look after their oral health also apply to younger people. There are a few specific things too though which you will find below.
1 – Brush and floss your teeth well. This is the bedrock of any good oral health regime. Failing to floss is one of the things that causes a lot of problems such as tooth decay and gum disease. It really isn’t hard to do and the benefits are very significant … and it’s never too late to start.
2 – Stay hydrated. This is an area that especially affects older people who tend not to drink enough and consequently become dehydrated. When this happens, it makes it much more likely that gum disease will follow. Given that bone loss in the jaw area is also more common in older people, the combination of gum disease and bone loss may well lead to the loss of some teeth.
3 – Quit smoking. This affects everyone, but some of an older age will have come from a generation where smoking was very widespread, and it is quite possible that they have not given up the habit. Smoking is dangerous for many reasons but regarding oral health, both gum disease and mouth cancer is a real risk and one that is not worth taking. There is plenty of help around to stop smoking so please take advantage of this.
4 – Regular checkups. Just because you are older and probably less concerned about looking your very best doesn’t mean that you don’t need to take care of your teeth. Tooth loss can become problematic as we grow older and may well limit the types of food that we are able to eat. As good nutrition is particularly important as we grow older, it is important to keep your teeth for as long as possible. Where tooth loss has already occurred, prosthodontic solutions are available and we will discuss that in the next section.
Professional dental care
As providers of oral health care solutions for all ages, we are always happy to see older patients as well as younger ones. Whatever your level of dental needs, please do get in touch with us if you would like an appointment.
As for what we can do to help you, we hope that the following helps to explain.
1 – Ongoing care. Regular check ups are important to monitor your oral health and not only your teeth, but your gum health too. We will also ask you to keep us updated with any changes in your medicine as some of this can affect what treatment we are able to provide at specific times. For example, if you are on Warfarin, a blood thinner, we will need to be sure that your levels are safe before we carry out any treatment that could cause bleeding, such as an extraction.
2 – Provision of restorations. One consequence of becoming older is that our teeth are probably more likely to suffer from cracks and chips than a younger person. We can restore these using a range of procedures from crowns to porcelain veneers.
3 – provision of prosthodontics. For some of the reasons mentioned earlier, tooth loss is not uncommon in older people. Any missing teeth can be replaced using a bridge, dentures or dental implants. Although dentures are widely used, dental implants are becoming more popular with older people due to their strength and stability.
4 – Cosmetic solutions. Yes .. cosmetic dentistry is not just for the young and trendy. Many older people still enjoy socialising and naturally, want to look their best while doing so. We offer a range of suitable treatments at your nearby Ipswich dental clinic including veneers and teeth whitening. You can finally have a younger looking smile with whiter teeth!
Being an older person is no excuse for poor quality teeth. With good care and a little help from your local friendly dentists, you can have functional and attractive teeth once more. To make an appointment with us, please call the Foxhall Dental Practice today on 01473 258396.