Dental Concerns for Each Family Member, Part Four: Seniors

Good day, Birmingham! Welcome back to the final installment of Perrigo Dental Care’s four part blog series overviewing family oral health needs. We know that, as a family, you are all looking out for eachother. But we also know that you could use some help. That is why we use this blog to communicate with you about the oral health issues that matter to the families of Birmingham, AL.

In our previous blogs we have gone over the concerns and needs of children and teens, and in the last one we wrote about adult dental care. Now we are going to spend some time with the patriarchs and matriarchs of your family, Grandpa and Grandma.

Senior Citizens

The misconception about the silver years of life is that you get a set of false teeth and forget about dental care, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. With the advances in dentistry and preventive care over the past decades, more and more senior citizens are holding on to their natural teeth, which is a very good thing.

Proper nourishment is essential for the wellbeing of everyone, but it is especially important for older people. Having your natural teeth will allow you to eat the healthy, fiber rich foods you need to stay feeling great and full of energy in your later years. Certainly, tooth replacement technology is more advanced and effective than ever, but it still doesn’t beat being able to chew your food with the teeth you were born with.

People who still have all or most of their natural teeth are at a lower risk of further tooth decay and gum disease. As you lose more teeth, your ability to chew healthy foods diminishes, and directly affects your oral health. That is why here at Perrigo Dental Care we place a high value on preventive care. Although we can effectively treat tooth decay and gum disease, the best treatment is prevention.

Preventive Care at Perrigo Dental Care

Much of your tooth decay and gum disease prevention will occur at home. Brushing and flossing at least twice a day is the cornerstone of a healthy home dental care routine. That’s surely nothing you haven’t heard before, but its importance can not be overstated. However, there is more you can do to protect the health of your natural teeth so you can hang on to them as long as possible.

For one thing, be sure to drink fluoridated water. This means to not exclusively drink bottled water. A lot of bottled water companies present their product as if it is somehow superior to and more healthy than tap water, even though their is no evidence to support this. In fact, bottled water may even be worse than tap water. The lack of fluoride in bottled water means your teeth will be deficient if you only drink bottled water. Also all those plastic bottles take a hefty toll on the environment.

Tooth Replacement Solutions

Even if you do take excellent care of your teeth your whole life, chances are you will eventually need some sort of tooth replacement. Very few few things in your body undergo as much wear and tear as your teeth, and all the brushing in the world may not be enough to overcome the near constant use your teeth endure throughout your life. If and when the need arises, Perrigo Dental Care offers the tooth replacement solution that will keep you smiling.

For the most natural tooth replacement, dental implants are the way to go. Dental implants are almost like growing a new tooth. Whereas other tooth replacement solutions, like dentures and bridges, only replace the visible part of the tooth, implants replace the root and the crown. this means you will have a stable synthetic tooth that can handle all the foods a natural tooth can.

Dental implants also reinforce the bone density of your jaw. One of the problems with other forms of tooth replacement is that they do not stop the jaw from deteriorating. This means your jaw will actually become thinner, aging you prematurely. So in order to look younger and stay healthy, consider dental implants as you tooth replacement solution.

Come See Us In Birmingham

As you get older, keeping regular dental appointments becomes all the more important. Regular professional cleanings will help your teeth stay healthy and bright, while detailed examinations will allow us to detect any potential oral health problems before they become big ones.

So, contact Perrigo Dental Care today to schedule an appointment.