What are the most common dental issues affecting seniors?

Seniors can have dental conditions that arise from other health problems they are facing. For example, if they have arthritic hands, then oral hygiene may suffer as it is more challenging to brush and floss daily.

Seniors are often on multiple medications for other health problems which can give them dry mouth, or sensitive gums, and this puts them at greater risk for gum disease. For seniors, regular checkups and teeth cleaning is vital for them to maintain their oral health. Finding a dentist who understand seniors may be a challenge in Calgary NE.

Seniors & Oral Hygiene

Seniors should brush at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and floss at least once a day. Rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash once or twice a day is also highly recommended. Seniors often have aging yellow teeth, and they can have their teeth whitened to remove stains and brighten their enamel.

As for toothbrushes, seniors have many electric toothbrushes to choose from and newer models have built in timers and pressure sensors, and soft bristles are best for fragile gums. Electric toothbrushes are especially helpful for seniors with compromised hand agility.

Periodontal Disease

The most common dental issue seniors face is periodontal (gum) disease. Without adequate oral hygiene, plaque and tartar build up causing bacteria to attack the gums. Left unaddressed, periodontal disease can result in the loss of teeth. If seniors have difficulty chewing, this has a negative impact on their overall health as they will not necessarily choose the most nutritious foods, and resort to ones that don’t require much chewing.

Another problem with plaque build-up for seniors is that pneumonia is the leading cause of death in seniors and the bacteria responsible for pneumonia is commonly found in the dental plaque of seniors.

At Skypointe Dental, our highly trained dentists have a great deal of experience in treating seniors’ for dental issues. We take special care to find out all the overall health conditions our senior patients face and what medications they are taking, and for how long.

Our dentists can treat periodontal disease, and recommend dental restorations, dentures, or partial dentures where they are the best solution for patients whose teeth are severely compromised. We keep a close watch on the relationship between our patients’ overall health and their oral health.

Seniors under Skypointe Dental’s care are treated using the latest technologies which are designed to be less invasive and to minimize pain.

The Cost of Seniors’ Dental Care

In addition, Skypointe Dental has recognized the concerns seniors have about the cost of oral care. In fact, we have teamed up with AgeCare Skypointe to provide residents with dental cleanings in the facility.

Skypointe Dental offers Pay 360 for financing dental care, and refers patients to the Alberta Dental Service Corporation which administers the Dental Assistance for Seniors Program (DASP). It is an income-based program for low to moderate income seniors which provides assistance for basic dental services.

The Skypointe team also knows that seniors may have cognitive impairments, mobility problems and they are experienced in providing dental hygiene and treatments with sensitivity and understanding of seniors’ needs.

Crowns, Bridges, Root Canals

Many patients require crowns, bridges, or root canals to address advanced decay in a tooth, or gaps from missing teeth. Dental crowns strengthen a damaged tooth and can also fix a misshapen or crooked tooth.

With bridges, we use our Digital Smile Design to show you what your new smile will look like before we proceed. We create bridges to stop remaining teeth from moving into the empty spaces created by a missing tooth or multiple teeth.

Fillings, Removing Teeth & Wisdom Teeth

Most tooth decay can be addressed with a filling, but if the decay is advanced or the tooth has been damaged, it may need to be removed. We also remove wisdom teeth. For fillings, we use safe, white fillings, and can remove old amalgam mercury fillings and replace them with white fillings.

Whatever your family’s dental health needs, we are experienced and prepared to address each issue with the utmost care to make you comfortable in the process.

• Let’s meet
• Let’s create a plan for treatment
• Enjoy excellent oral care

We do our very best to provide our senior patients with the dental care they need and deserve!

• Suffer with painful, bleeding gums or toothaches
• Avoid the dentist out of concerns about cost
• Worry that major procedures will be needed
• Be anxious about losing teeth
• Fear finding a seniors’ dentist will be hard

• Get the treatment you need for periodontal disease
• Relax knowing there are options and help for seniors’ dental care
• Recognize that our goal is prevention before intervention
• Feel confident that we will take care of your teeth
• Look forward to working with a dentist who understands seniors

Let Skypointe Dental in Calgary, NE take care of your oral health, your peace of mind, and your smile!

At Skypointe Dental, we are here to serve Families, Friends, and Neighbours! We love our multi-cultural community, and we reflect that in our dental practice in Calgary NE by also offering our services in Hindi, Punjabi, and Arabic.