Our dentists have the expertise to help your entire family with quality dental care, including providing senior dental care for aging smiles. We have been helping seniors maintain healthy smiles and provide quality dental restorations for missing teeth by combining the latest technology with compassionate dental care so that your teeth look and feel great while also having a positive dental experience.
This matters, because having poor oral health like gum disease and dry mouth increases your risk of having heart or lung disease, strokes and blood vessel blockage. Losing teeth to periodontitis may even increase your susceptibility to dementia. Even chronic, low-grade inflammation can be a “silent killer” that leads to cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Oral Issues From Aging
Periodontal disease: Gum disease that arises due to dry mouth, chronic adult gum disease progression and poor manual dexterity can all harm the mouth. Thankfully, with proper care and at-home attention, gum disease can often be managed and mitigated.
Dry mouth: Over time, the salivary glands can function less effectively, sometimes even from the medications you take regularly. Low saliva levels increase tooth sensitivity as the gums shrink, leaving the roots of teeth exposed. Dry mouth is linked to Alzheimer’s, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and stroke. Treating dry mouth with topical solutions and prescriptions while avoiding diuretics and drinking water throughout the day can help boost saliva production.
Worn Teeth: Over time teeth can crack and chip and become discolored. That’s when a dental restoration can restore teeth to full function and appearance for a healthier smile.
Lost Teeth: Replacing missing teeth is vital to maintaining bone mass and facilitating renewed tooth function with dental implants, bridges, partial dentures and even full dentures.
Not only can we assist you with your aging smile, but we can educate your caretaker to ensure healthy home hygiene care.
Daily Oral Hygiene
Unfortunately, aging often impacts your ability to brush and floss effectively, especially if you have arthritis or difficulty holding and maneuvering a toothbrush. Flossing can also be challenging, especially for those molars in the back of the mouth.
You can purchase a “grip aid” that slides over your toothbrush handle or consider using an electric toothbrush to do the hard work for you. Be sure to floss daily, and a good time to do it is after you eat a meal to clear away oral bacteria and food particles that like to cling to tooth surfaces and around the gumline. You can turn to over-the-counter flossing tools that can reach better into those areas:
- Dental picks
- Floss picks
- Pre-threaded flossers (these are great at getting beneath dental crowns and bridges)
- Oral irrigators
When it comes to senior dental care, our Valley View Dental team loves helping our senior patients maintain healthy and normal-looking smiles. Remember, a mouth without missing teeth is vital for proper speech, chewing and a normal appearance. Replacing missing teeth helps keep your facial structure intact without a “sunken” look.
Call Today!
You are family to us, and we love taking care of your smile. From our dentists to our hygienists and office staff, we strive to provide quality dental care while helping you feel comfortable, relaxed and cared for in all of our dental locations. We invite you to call us today to learn more about senior dental care in Romeoville, Naperville, and Montgomery, Illinois, and schedule a visit with one of our friendly dentists. Ask about our senior discount!