Caring for the unique needs of seniors with unique services

When you have a specific orthopedic or musculoskeletal injury, you don’t go to just any doctor. You go to an orthopedist, orthopedic surgeon, or physical therapist. When you need treatment for a chronic and severe skin problem, you don’t turn to just any general practitioner. You go to a dermatologist. You get the picture. 

As you or a family member gets older, new challenges to good oral care and health can arise. These challenges may show themselves due to new diagnoses (such as systemic illnesses like heart disease or Type 2 diabetes). The medications used to control these illnesses can also affect your oral health by inhibiting saliva, which puts you at increased risk of developing periodontal/gum disease and tooth decay. It works both ways; poor oral health also makes it more difficult to control existing diseases and leaves you vulnerable to additional illnesses and health challenges like:

• Serious gum infections can raise blood sugar and make it more difficult to keep your diabetes in check.
  
  
• Harmful bacteria that predispose seniors to pneumonia and other respiratory infections, which are particularly serious among the senior population
  
  
• Gum inflammation that doesn’t “stay put”; it can travel to the tissues of the heart, increasing the risk of stroke.
  
  
• Tooth loss and aching, damaged teeth that affect the ability to comfortably eat a range of nutritious foods, and may even result in malnutrition and deficiencies in certain essential nutrients the body needs to be healthy and to function properly.

As you can see, there are a lot of consequences of poor oral health and inadequate oral care in a person’s golden years. So, it is important to be selective about choosing a dentist who really knows what they are doing when evaluating and caring for seniors.

We can perform many services with the exception of complex surgeries or those treatments that require specialized, in-office equipment; for instance, complicated extractions to remove impacted teeth, root canal therapy, IV sedation, and major restorative work like bridges and implants must be done at our office.