Dental care for those patients over the age of 65 involves unique considerations. Seniors are more likely to suffer from a host of oral issues resulting from the natural aging process, difficulty in receiving proper oral health care due to financial constraints (fixed income, lack of dental insurance), or their inability to provide adequate oral home care for themselves. We know that seniors are often on softer diets, which affects the self-cleaning/natural food deflection action of the chewing process. They may have systemic diseases that affect the health of the oral cavity such as, diabetes and heart disease. They may be on many medications, which affect the saliva production. Dry mouth makes people more prone to developing cavities. In addition, there may be reduced manual dexterity; therefore, home care efforts are not as effective as they once were.
Our concerns for you: Seniors are more prone to periodontal (gum) disease, resulting from improper dental hygiene practices, poor diet, ill-fitting dentures or partials, disease, or a predisposition due to genetics. In many cases, the supporting bone structure for the teeth, including the jaw, may shift, which can play havoc with a patient's occlusion (bite). This may contribute to tooth decay, further periodontal disease and/or increased joint pain in the jaw.
Seniors are prone to decay and tooth sensitivity due to the loss of enamel and dentin, or root deterioration caused by gum recession and gum disease. More frequent dental visits may be necessary to help stop the progression of further dental disease. Old restorations, such as crowns and fillings, may need to be replaced, medications may need to be applied directly to the tooth surface, or products may be prescribed for home care. Seniors are also more likely to suffer inflammation of the gum tissue, dry mouth syndrome or oral thrush, these need to be checked and monitored on a regular basis as well.