Dental Care Tips for Seniors

Senior dental care is an important topic. Some dentists actually specialize in senior dental care. Seniors, like children, are prone to dental problems. Keeping on top of your hygiene and following these tips helps ensure you have to see your dentist for years to come. Even if you have dentures, some of these tips will apply to you.

1. Keep dry mouth at bay

Dry mouth is a huge cause of dental problems in aging people. Even though dry mouth doesn’t seem to have anything to with aging, it does make our mouths resemble the Sahara Desert. There is something in most medicine cabinets, that causes this effect. Most seniors are on at least one prescription medication. While these are great for keeping you alive, dry mouth is one of the most common side-effects. Moreover, dry mouth aids the growth of bacteria and speeds up the process of getting a cavity. Whoops!

2. Antibacterial mouthwash is a must

As you age, it takes less and less getting under your skin to get you sick. Your mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria of all kinds. The good news? These bacteria have nowhere to go most of the time. However, if you open little lesions in your gums after you brush or floss, you could be exposing yourself to more germs than you think. A great way to strike back at this is to use an antibacterial mouthwash before or during your oral hygiene routine. Even if you knick your gums flossing, no germs will enter your bloodstream, because they’re all washed away.

3. Increase fluoride

Dental care for seniors often revolves around helping them preserve as much good quality, natural teeth as they can. One of the best tools for this is fluoride. Currently, many cities are adding it to their water supply, and it’s working wonders. Not only is it odorless and tasteless, fluoride also helps to keep your enamel thick and strong. The thicker your enamel, the more it will take for a cavity to break all the way through. If you can’t stand the thought of drinking tap water, get access to filtered or sparkling water instead.

4. Avoid tobacco

If you’re still using tobacco as a senior, there’s nothing more to say. You’ve heard everything that every doctor has said about leaving tobacco behind. Whether you’re a cigarette smoker or you prefer to chew doesn’t matter. All forms of tobacco put you at increased risk of mouth and throat cancer. By the time these are caught, it’s frequently too late. While there may be nothing a dentist for seniors can say about quitting that you haven’t heard, there still may be. Sometimes losing their smile is the last straw that prompts people to quit.

5. Always be upfront with your dentist

This one is simple. Tell your dentist about your diagnosis and needs. If they ask if you take medication, tell them. Some procedures are tougher than others. It’s sometimes recommended that you take antibiotics before a difficult procedure. This can only happen if you’re honest with your dentist.

Finding a dentist for seniors can be a chore. While you’re looking for senior dental care, follow these tips. The better you take care of your teeth, the less the chance that you’ll have to come to the dentist in the first place. That’s a cause we can all get behind.

Value of Invisalign

No one enjoys the idea of having to wear braces, however the value of Invisalign is in how simple and effective they are. Invisalign is a better choice than traditional braces for people who are self-conscious about their smile. Moreover, Invisalign provides quick correction for a wide variety of orthodontic issues. The good news is that you don’t have to go far to find them. Salinas Invisalign programs are available to help you get the smile you’ve always wanted.

No self-consciousness or anxiety

The biggest difference between Invisalign and traditional braces is in their appearance. The Invisalign system is based on a series of clear plastic trays that gently nudge your teeth into alignment. Fortunately, Invisalign is very difficult to see. If you don’t broadcast that you’re wearing them, no one will even know. Gone are the days of worrying about getting salad caught in your braces.

If you are like most people, you might be self-conscious about your smile. For some people, enduring a couple of years of wire braces sounds worse than keeping their crooked smile. Invisalign removes the source of anxiety. If you want to improve your smile in order to improve their business opportunities, then Invisalign is your answer. Realtors, sales associates, and others who rely on charisma and a great smile, are often hesitant to wear braces. Your smile is a great asset in closing the deal, improve it with an Salinas Invisalign treatment.

Quick progress

Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign treatments take about a year to complete. This is quicker than the average wire and bracket braces procedure. Invisalign works by using a series of clear plastic trays made especially for your teeth. These trays slowly nudge them into position. Every few weeks you change your set of trays. How many sets you go through will depend on your progress. On average, it’s somewhere between 18 and 30.

Simply visit your Salinas orthodontist every few weeks to have your Invisalign treatments overseen. Consistent visits allow you to address any issues you may have. Because the trays are custom made, your orthodontist can adjust them to meet your needs as you progress. For this reason, the entire set isn’t made at once, but over time.

Versatile corrections

Invisalign isn’t used just to straighten teeth. It’s considered a viable option for a whole variety of procedures. Correcting more than crooked teeth, Invisalign is also used to correct overbites, under bites, and cross bites. As each tray is custom made with your needs in mind, your dentist actually prioritizes your concerns as treatment progresses. Close gaps between your teeth or even space them out with Invisalign. In short, it’s possible to replicate any treatment that you can get with traditional wire and bracket with Invisalign.

Invisalign is a quick and versatile solution to many oral concerns. You don’t have to avoid pictures for a couple years or give up using your winning smile to earn commission. While traditional braces make the wearer more self-conscious before they’re removed, Invisalign works invisibly to align your teeth so that you can have the smile you’ve always wanted. Contact Dr. Cureton to improve your smile today! 

Oral Health Issues Seniors Face

Oral health is an important and often overlooked component of an older person’s general health and well-being. Our team knows that for many of our older patients, oral health can become an issue when arthritis or other neurological problems render them unable to brush or floss their teeth as effectively as they once did. Today, we thought we would discuss four common oral health issues our older patients face and how they can avoid them:

Cavities: It’s not just children who get tooth decay—oral decay is a common disease in people 65 and older. Ninety-two percent of seniors 65 and older have had dental caries in their permanent teeth, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The risk for tooth decay increases because many older adults don’t go to the dentist as often as they used to, thus cavities go undetected and untreated for longer than they should. Keeping regular appointments is the key to getting cavities treated in a timely manner.

Difficulty eating: Oral health problems, whether from missing teeth, cavities, dentures that don’t fit, gum disease, or infection, can cause difficulty eating and can force people to adjust the quality, consistency, and balance of their diet.

Dry mouth: Also called xerostomia, dry mouth is a common issue for a lot of seniors. Our friends at the Oral Cancer Foundation estimate that 20 percent of elderly people suffer from dry mouth, which means the reduced flow of saliva (saliva plays a crucial role in preventing tooth decay). Many seniors are on multiple medications for a variety of chronic illnesses or conditions. Common medications taken that may cause dry mouth are decongestants, antihistamines, blood pressure medications, pain pills, incontinence medications, antidepressants, diuretics, muscle relaxers, and Parkinson’s disease medications. To help counter this, we suggest drinking lots of fluids and limiting your intake of caffeine and alcohol. We also encourage you to check with us during your next visit if you think your medications are causing your mouth to feel dry.

Gum Disease: Gum (periodontal) disease is an infection of the gums and surrounding tissues that hold teeth in place. While gum disease affects people of all ages, it typically becomes worse as people age. In its early stages, gum disease is painless, and most people have no idea that they have it. In more advanced cases, however, gum disease can cause sore gums and pain when chewing.

Gum disease, which can range from simple gum inflammation to serious disease, is usually caused by poor brushing and flossing habits that allow dental plaque to build up on the teeth. Plaque that is not removed can harden and form tartar that brushing simply does not clean. Only a professional cleaning at our office can remove tartar. The two forms of gum disease are gingivitis and periodontitis. In gingivitis, the gums become red, swollen, and can bleed easily; in periodontitis, gums pull away from the teeth and form spaces that become infected.

Proper brushing, flossing, and visiting our office regularly can prevent gum disease. Seniors with limited dexterity who have trouble gripping a toothbrush should ask Dr. Cureton about modifying a handle for easier use or switching to a battery-powered toothbrush.

Do I Need to use Mouthwash? Your Salinas Family Dentist Answers

A question that many of our patients ask us is “Why should we be using a mouthwash?”

The fact is mouthwashes may conceal the existence of dental or other health problems. The most common of these is bad breath (halitosis), which can be caused by a range of causes, including poor oral hygiene, decay, infection or xerostomia (dry mouth). If NOT having bad breath is a priority; make sure to contact your Salinas Dentist Dr. Russell Cureton.

It’s important to know the differences between a mouthwash you may use at home on a daily basis (a “cosmetic” mouthwash) and one prescribed by your dentist (a “therapeutic” mouthwash).

Cosmetic Mouthwashes are on sale over the counter nearly everywhere. A Cosmetic Mouthwash may temporarily cover up bad breath, but does not fight the bacterial agent causing that bad breath. Some Cosmetic Mouthwashes contain fluoride (to fight cavities), as well as other ingredients that help fight gingivitis and decrease plaque build-up. Over-the-counter products that do have these additional ingredients only have limited ability to fight against decay, gingivitis and plaque accumulation.

Therapeutic Mouthwashes are prescribed by your dentist, include ingredients that target decay-causing agents, aid in eliminating plaque build-up, and reduce gingivitis in a more controlled and direct way than cosmetic mouthwash. The concentrations of ingredients in Therapeutic Mouthwashes are usually higher and therefore require professional advice before use.

It is important to remember that all mouthwashes are only helpful when combined with brushing twice daily and flossing once daily; At the office of Dr. Russell Cureton, we want to make sure that you do not use mouthwash as a substitute for these necessities of your oral health routine. We encourage people steer towards the alcohol-free mouthwashes.

If having fresh breath is a priority, use of a mouthwash may be helpful; only if used along with daily tooth brushing and flossing, accompanied by regular six-monthly checkups with your Salinas Dentist.

Dr. Russell Cureton has been a practicing dentist in Salinas for more than 25 years. So if you live in Prunedale, Seaside, Marina area you can find us on E. Alvin Drive in Salinas. Check back each month for more tips and insight from Dr. Cureton.