Ask a Health Professional Each week health professionals give their educated opinions on relatable health questions. We believe that knowledge is power! 2012 10th Street 906-352-4100 www.lacannefamilydental.com LoCanne Dr. Tracy La Canne, DDS FANTL NTAL Question: May is Older Americans Month. What are some older things adults should be aware of in regard to their oral health? doesn't necessarily losing your teeth. It's still important to maintain routine visits with your dental care provider so any problems can be found when One of the first things to be your dental provider. Many people tend to aware of is that getting older forget that your teeth are connected to the rest of your body! Maintaining good oral health is important in the control of diabetes and especially heart health. There have been many studies linking periodontal disease to an increased risk of heart disease and even mean they're small and casily corrected. recent studies linking it to Alzheimer's. A big concern many older adults deal with is dry mouth. This is a combination of aging that many older adults are afflicted with. as well as a side effect of many medications. Having limited saliva puts you at a higher trying to brush your teeth. The best thing to risk for developing cavities, since saliva is our mouth's natural cleaner. There are a plethora of over-the-counter aids to help alleviate the frustration of dry mouth. Rinses, gels, lozenges are all the first line of defense. Sipping on water throughout the day is also important. DO NOT suck on hard candies or cough drops to get more salivary flow. This will only contribute to more decay because you are placing a constant sugar source in your mouth. It's a recipe for disaster! If the dry mouth is significant enough there are even some medicationns to add that have been shown to help increase salivary flow. However, it is important your doctor and dentist collaborate on prescribing these meds through an employer. Many feel that the Arthritis is another chronic condition This can cause some dexterity issues when do is purchase an electric toothbrush. Most clectric brushes have large handles that are casier to hold on to and there is less dexterity needed to operate the brush. This will allow you to still do a great job keeping your tecth clean. Having a joint replaced is also a common occurrence as we age. This is something your dental provider needs to be aware of so they can determine your risk level and properly pre-medicate you with antibiotics prior to your treatment if needed. Finally, a lot of older adults are retired and therefore no longer have dental insurance cost of continuing with routine dental care is too great and choose to wait until a problem arises before it gets treated. As always, preventative care is less costly over the long-run. A small filling once a year with two cleanings is significantly less then a root canal and a crown. As mentioned above, maintaining routine care will also help keep the rest of your body healthy and allow you to enjoy those golden years even more! to make sure there are no side effects with your other medications. As we age, we may also develop one of many chronic conditions: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc. It is very important that you make your dentist aware if you develop one of these conditions as the oral manifestations may need to be treated. There are even some instances where a chronic condition may first be noticed by Ask a Health Professional Each week health professionals give their educated opinions on relatable health questions. We believe that knowledge is power! 2012 10th Street 906-352-4100 www.lacannefamilydental.com LoCanne Dr. Tracy La Canne, DDS FANTL NTAL Question: May is Older Americans Month. What are some older things adults should be aware of in regard to their oral health? doesn't necessarily losing your teeth. It's still important to maintain routine visits with your dental care provider so any problems can be found when One of the first things to be your dental provider. Many people tend to aware of is that getting older forget that your teeth are connected to the rest of your body! Maintaining good oral health is important in the control of diabetes and especially heart health. There have been many studies linking periodontal disease to an increased risk of heart disease and even mean they're small and casily corrected. recent studies linking it to Alzheimer's. A big concern many older adults deal with is dry mouth. This is a combination of aging that many older adults are afflicted with. as well as a side effect of many medications. Having limited saliva puts you at a higher trying to brush your teeth. The best thing to risk for developing cavities, since saliva is our mouth's natural cleaner. There are a plethora of over-the-counter aids to help alleviate the frustration of dry mouth. Rinses, gels, lozenges are all the first line of defense. Sipping on water throughout the day is also important. DO NOT suck on hard candies or cough drops to get more salivary flow. This will only contribute to more decay because you are placing a constant sugar source in your mouth. It's a recipe for disaster! If the dry mouth is significant enough there are even some medicationns to add that have been shown to help increase salivary flow. However, it is important your doctor and dentist collaborate on prescribing these meds through an employer. Many feel that the Arthritis is another chronic condition This can cause some dexterity issues when do is purchase an electric toothbrush. Most clectric brushes have large handles that are casier to hold on to and there is less dexterity needed to operate the brush. This will allow you to still do a great job keeping your tecth clean. Having a joint replaced is also a common occurrence as we age. This is something your dental provider needs to be aware of so they can determine your risk level and properly pre-medicate you with antibiotics prior to your treatment if needed. Finally, a lot of older adults are retired and therefore no longer have dental insurance cost of continuing with routine dental care is too great and choose to wait until a problem arises before it gets treated. As always, preventative care is less costly over the long-run. A small filling once a year with two cleanings is significantly less then a root canal and a crown. As mentioned above, maintaining routine care will also help keep the rest of your body healthy and allow you to enjoy those golden years even more! to make sure there are no side effects with your other medications. As we age, we may also develop one of many chronic conditions: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc. It is very important that you make your dentist aware if you develop one of these conditions as the oral manifestations may need to be treated. There are even some instances where a chronic condition may first be noticed by