Age adds many wonderful joys to life, such as grandchildren and retirement. Unfortunately, seniors don’t always experience joy when it comes to their oral health. Your Livonia family dentist, Dr. James Stewart, understands this issue and offers compassionate care to his senior patients.
Dental Problems and Solutions for Older Adults
Certain complications can arise with age, which makes dental care difficult to maintain. For instance, some older patients experience decreased joint mobility, meaning a simple task such as using a toothbrush can become a laborious chore. An electric toothbrush can provide a partial solution to this problem, and professional teeth cleanings from your Livonia family dentist will also help. Dry mouth is another annoyance that seniors face due to medications or certain diseases. Many people suck on hard candies to help alleviate the symptoms, but that can actually lead to gum disease and tooth decay. A much better solution is drinking water and using a fluoride mouth rinse.
Dentures and Dental Implants
Ill-fitting dentures can cause great discomfort and serious oral health problems. Dr. Stewart works closely with his older patients to ensure that their dentures are properly functioning and correctly aligned. Dental implants are also an option for missing teeth, as well as a way to secure loose dentures.
Benefits of Modern Dentistry
Dental care has come a long way over the years, and the modern advances greatly benefit older adults. Certain procedures have become less invasive, allowing for a quicker recovery time, and oral sedation permits patients to enter a deeply relaxed state during procedures, even those that are long and complex. In addition, educational tools have significantly improved, making it easier for dentists to demonstrate helpful oral care techniques for their patients.
Treating older patients often takes a high level of care and expertise, both of which can be found in our dentist office. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Stewart, call (734) 425-4400. We treat patients in Livonia, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Garden City, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Westland, and the surrounding communities.