Senior Dental Care

Dental care for seniors involves unique considerations. Seniors are more likely to suffer from a host of oral health issues resulting from the natural aging process, their inability to receive proper oral health care due to financial constraints or their inability to provide adequate dental hygiene care for themselves.

Prior to tooth loss, seniors may experience tooth sensitivity or discoloration due to a loss of enamel and dentin or root deterioration caused by gum recession.

Seniors are more prone to periodontal disease (gum disease) resulting from improper dental hygiene practices, poor diet, ill-fitting dental appliances and/or diseases such as cancer or diabetes. In fact, the supporting bone structure for the teeth, including the jaw, may shift, which can play havoc on a senior's bite and may contribute to tooth decay. Seniors are also more likely to suffer from
inflammation of gum tissue, dry mouth syndrome (often caused by medications).