Affordable & Reliable Dental Care For The Elderly

Dental care is essential for seniors to preserve not just their oral health, but also their general well-being. After all, tooth and gum disorders may be excruciatingly painful and incapacitating. They can have an impact on your physical appearance, food intake, communication ability, and much more. Keeping your mouth healthy is thus a vital element of staying healthy.

This article discusses a few tooth-related disorders that regularly afflict elderly people, as well as how to manage or treat them. It also discusses the potential risks of not replacing lost teeth and provides an overview of dentures and dental implants. It also includes advice on how to make dental care and dental emergency more economical for you.

Dental Problems That Frequently Affect Seniors

Growing older increases the likelihood of acquiring a variety of oral health problems. Dental disorders that are frequent among the elderly include:

Teeth Decay

Many elderly persons with arthritis or other disorders that impair hand dexterity are unable to brush or floss adequately. Poor dental hygiene practices can result in tartar and plaque buildup, which can eventually lead to deterioration.

Drinking water after eating and limiting sweets might help keep your pearly whites healthy. An electric toothbrush might make it simpler to completely clean your teeth. You should also consult a hygienist or dentist for particular advice on how to maintain oral health in seniors with reduced dexterity.

Gum recession

Seniors may notice that their gums are progressively receding away from their teeth. The teeth become sensitive to touch, as well as heat and cold extremes, as the roots become exposed. Because exposed roots lack protective enamel, they are more prone to decay than the upper section of the tooth.

Receding gums might be caused by heredity, brushing too vigorously, or grinding your teeth. Without treatment, your chances of developing gum disease and losing teeth grow. A comprehensive cleaning may solve the condition, but in some situations, a gum graft may be necessary.

Mouth dryness

Saliva output usually decreases with age. As a result, acids and sugars accumulate in the mouth, rendering seniors more prone to cavities. It can also cause a swollen tongue and cracked lips, making it difficult to talk and swallow.

Hundreds of medicines, including those for asthma, depression, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, nausea, urine incontinence, and Parkinson's disease, cause dry mouth. Medical disorders such as anemia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease might also contribute to it.

How to Reduce the Cost of Senior Dental Services for You

Some elderly people are surprised by the expense of dental treatment because they are unaware that Medicare only covers dental services in very restricted conditions. For example, if you need a tooth extracted in preparation for radiation therapy for oral cancer, Medicare may cover the cost. It will not, however, cover checks, fillings, cleanings, implants, or dentures.

The good news is that there are several options for getting assistance with dental expenditures. Here are several possibilities:

Consider getting dental insurance

Private firms provide a wide range of senior dental insurance coverage. While the specifics vary, most plans include:

Preventive procedures such as checkups and cleanings are provided at no cost.

Fillings and simple extractions account for 50 to 80 percent of basic treatments.

Crowns and dentures account for 20 to 50 percent of major restorative procedures.

Before purchasing any plan, thoroughly investigate what services are and are not included, as well as the amounts covered. Dental implants, for example, are often considered aesthetic, thus many insurance plans will not cover them. And, although some insurance considers a root canal to be a basic treatment, others consider it a dental emergency.