Prevention and Disease Management for Older Adults( Article 2 of 4)

The rapid growth of population that is 65 and older will profoundly affect dental care in a number of ways.
Risk assessment for this vulnerable group  will help develop the most appropriate prevention plan and treatment strategy.

 Prevention:

Majority of older patients suffer from hyposalivation or Drymouth

Simple preventative remedies  to alleviate drymouth include-

Regular sips of water throughout the day
Limiting number of alcoholic beverages and beverages
Limiting beverages high in sugar and caffeine particularly sodas,juices and sweetened coffee and tea
Avoid spicy and salty foods
Caution using mouth washes containing alcohol
Using  salivary substitutes  such as Oralbalance gel, Biotene Moisturing spray, liquid mouthspray etc
.
In extreme cases, a salivary stimulant may be prescribed which does require consulting with patient's physician. 
Discussion with physician and or pharmacist regarding substitution of medicines causing dry mouth can also be an option.

Caries:
For patients with an increased risk of caries or dental decay, an oscillating tooth brush is best.  Automated toothbrushes remove more plaque than manual brushing alone. It is particularly helpful for patients with limited dexterity and arthritis.

Use floridated toothpaste daily and floride rinses
 Periodic topical application of 5% sodium floride varnish in severe cases of caries.
  This mode is inexpensive, non invasive and shown to reduce decay.

As the old adage goes " an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of...."

Visit www.mydentistchino.com or Call 909 627 6699 to contact our office. We are more than happy to help you with your question.

Dental Health and Seniors

Jawbones are a living part of the skeletal system that  help define a person's face as well as providing a solid surface for which teeth can be firmly anchored. Results of a forty-year study have indicated that jaws can shrink over time resulting in tooth overcrowding in senior mouths.

The jawbone is not the only body part to be impacted by aging as every organ, hair follicle and tooth will be impacted by the natural process of a body's systems slowing down. When it comes to the latter, the appearance of a smile changes because of a shrinking jaw and lessened skin elasticity, however some of the oral changes associated with aging are more than skin deep.

According to the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging, the five most common dental problems associated with aging include:

•    Saliva production will naturally slow down, causing dry mouth.
• Ill-fitting dentures caused by crowding, shifting teeth and receding gums.
• Increased odds of developing gum disease, impacted by seniors implementing less-effective oral hygiene.
• More occurrences of tooth decay.
• Greater odds of developing oral cancer

Dental care and preventative dentistry are essential to ensure that seniors lower their risk of potential dental problems.  The process involves basic principles of brushing, flossing, eating a nutritious diet, exercising, drinking fresh water and maintaining regular dental visits.

“Aging individuals need to find a dental home led by a team with a good understanding of age related dental issues” Dr. Cherukuri cautions.

How to Manage Dental Costs With or Without Insurance

Many employer-sponsored health care plans do not include dental insurance, and those that do will typically offer only limited benefits. Individual private insurance is often too costly to be feasible. And Medicaid and Medicare offer only limited safety nets.

For most people, a toothache that turns into an expensive procedure like a crown or implant means thousands of dollars out of pocket while routine checkups, cleanings and fillings cost only a smalll fraction of it.

Even if you’re fortunate enough to have some kind of coverage, you have probably discovered just how little it pays if you have big problems. Most dental policies pay for preventive care like twice-a-year checkups, but cover only a fraction of higher-cost procedures like root canals. Even fillings can get short-changed, if the insurer decides the tooth-colored filler the dentist used was too “cosmetic” for the pothole being patched.

At the same time, dental care costs are rising faster than inflation, just as the evidence mounts that taking care of your mouth can be a critical gateway to good overall health.

The health care bills circulating in the House and Senate include dental care provisions for children, which is good. But it also means that for most of us relief from dental bills is not likely to come soon. That leaves it up to consumers to find smart ways to reduce their dental care costs without sacrificing their oral health. So we asked experts and patients for advice.

PREVENTION

Taking care of small problems keeps them from becoming big ones. Enough cannot be said about prevention, according to Dr. Matthew Messina, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association and a dentist in Cleveland.
Left unchecked, a small cavity that would cost about $100 to fill can easily turn into a $1,000 root canal. Skip those $80 cleanings each year, and you may be looking at $2,000 worth of gum disease treatments. An abscess that lands you in the emergency room will set you back hundreds of dollars for the visit, “and you’ll still have to go see a dentist, because emergency rooms don’t handle dental work,” said Dr. Messina.

Finally, your dentist also routinely looks for more serious problems, like oral cancer. More than 35,000 cases are diagnosed each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Early detection, usually during a dental checkup, is critical to successful treatment.

"Patients who stay on top of  their dental maintenance schedule enjoy the best of oral and overall health and end up saving themselves from unnecessary pain and expense" says Dr. Cherukuri from her Chino, California Dental Practice.