Dental Care For Older Patients

 

Dental care for older people is much the same as for younger adults. But older adults do have concerns that younger adults do not. These include caring for dentures, having trouble holding a toothbrush, having gum disease, having tooth decay on the roots of teeth, and replacing missing teeth and broken fillings.

Dentures

Dentures are "false teeth." They can replace all the teeth in your mouth (complete denture) or only some of them (partial denture). If you need dentures, your dentist will measure your mouth and take impressions to create them.

You should care for your dentures as you would your teeth. It's also important to continue to care for your gums. Brush your gums, tongue and the roof of your mouth (palate) every day with a soft-bristled brush before you put in your dentures. Continue to see your dentist on a regular basis.

To care for your dentures:

• When you take your dentures out, stand over a folded towel or bowl of water. This way if you drop them, they will not break.
• Store dentures in lukewarm water or denture-cleaning liquid overnight. Do not put them in hot water, and do not let them dry out.
• Replace your dentures about every 5 years. Using your dentures daily "wears them out," and you will need to replace them.
• Clean your dentures every day. Cleaning helps prevent dentures from becoming stained and helps your mouth stay healthy.
• Rinse your dentures to remove loose food particles.
• Polident or Efferdent. You may be able to use hand soap or mild dishwashing liquid. Do not use household cleansers, which may be too rough, or bleach.
• Brush every surface, scrubbing gently to avoid damage. Use a brush designed for cleaning dentures or a toothbrush with soft bristles. Do not use hard-bristled brushes, because they can damage the dentures.
• To care for your teeth and gums:
• Examine your gums daily before you put in your dentures. Let red, swollen gums heal before you wear your dentures again. If the redness does not go away in a few days, call your dentist. White patches on the inside of your cheeks could also indicate poorly fitting dentures.
• Give your mouth at least 6 hours of rest from your dentures every day. Your mouth heals more slowly as you age and needs time to recover from the friction of wearing dentures.
• Don't put up with dentures that are too big, click when you eat, or don't feel good. It takes time to get used to dentures, but if they are still giving you trouble after the first few weeks, talk to your dentist about fitting them again. Don't try to "fix" your dentures yourself.

Happy Easter

 

 

 

Dental "Grillz"

You’ve seen them around – the metal, gold or even wood dental dentures found worn in the mouth. They have become popular among teens and some adults due to celebrities, especially rap musicians wearing them in public and in music videos.

“Grillz” are decorative covers that snap over one or more teeth.
There are no long-term studies of dental grills, so there is currently no data about long-term safety or problems that can result from long-term wear.
But we do know that less expensive grills are often made from base metals that can cause irritation or an allergic reaction. Grills can promote plaque buildup and tooth decay because food particles and bacteria may build up between the teeth and the grill. They are also found to cause abrasion of the teeth that border it. Excessive wearing of grills may discolor teeth, too, so grill fans may need to whiten teeth when they decide to stop wearing it.
Anyone who wears a dental grill should be especially attentive to dental hygiene, and follow a consistent routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing. Also, be sure to remove the grill before eating and rinse it often to remove bacteria and food particles.

 

Dental Humor!

Your Braces Are Sexy :)

U.S. News - 100 Best Jobs of 2013- DENTIST & HYGIENIST Are In The Top 10!

All jobs aren't created equal. In fact, some are simply better than the rest. U.S. News 100 Best Jobs of 2013 are the occupations that offer a mosaic of employment opportunity, good salary, manageable work-life balance, and job security. Some careers offer just the right mix of these components—for instance, our top tier is filled with tech and healthcare jobs—but the list also includes strong showings from occupations in the social services and business sectors. Even construction jobs enter the fray this year. Read more on how we rank the best jobs, and check out our full list.

^#1

Dentist

 | Median Salary$142,740 |                                                          

Ever heard the phrase "Your face is your fortune"? For dentists, our smile is their fortune. They earn their living diagnosing and treating teeth and gums, performing oral surgery, and counseling and educating us on maintaining proper oral health. The profession should grow 21.1 percent by 2020.

 

^#2

Registered Nurse

 | Median Salary$65,690 |                                                          

The nursing profession will almost always have great hiring opportunity because of its expanse (from pediatric care to geriatric care, and everything in between). And as a substantial chunk of our population ages, the necessity for qualified RNs intensifies.

 

^#3

Pharmacist

 | Median Salary$113,390 |                                                          

With excellent job prospects and a solid average salary, the pharmacist profession nabs the No. 3 spot on our list. Possessors of a Pharm.D can anticipate nearly 70,000 available jobs this decade—the brunt in physician offices, outpatient care centers, and nursing homes.

 

^#4

Computer Systems Analyst

 | Median Salary$78,770 |                                                          

Think of a computer systems analyst as a tech project manager. He or she is often a liaison between the IT department and a client, and has influence over both the budgetary and technical considerations of a project.

 

^#5

Physician

 | Median Salary$183,170 |                                                          

At the top of the medical food chain, physicians diagnose and treat patients, plus they instruct on proper diet, hygiene, and disease prevention. And like other jobs in the healthcare industry, physicians will see abundant job growth to 2020.

^#6

Database Administrator

 | Median Salary$75,190 |                                                          

The more digitized our society becomes, the more important the role of database administrator becomes. By 2020, we'll need about 33,900 new ones to store, organize, manage, and troubleshoot all the content we store on computers.

 

^#7

Software Developer

 | Median Salary$89,280 |                                                          

These tech-smart professionals who design, construct, test, and maintain software should see abundant job growth up to the year 2020. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 27.6 percent expansion, or 143,800 new positions.

 

^#8

Physical Therapist

| Median Salary$78,270 |                                                          

Use your training period to start networking and begin your search for physical therapist jobs. Although there will be more than 77,000 jobs in this field this decade, the early birds will be more marketable.

 

^#9

Web Developer

 | Median Salary$77,990 |                                                          

"Web developer" might seem like a generic term, but a lot of schooling and skill goes into making a website look good and operate well. According to the Labor Department, about 65,700 new Web developers will enter the working world by 2020.

 

^#10

Dental Hygienist

 | Median Salary$69,280 |                                                          

Did you know that dental hygienists make yearly salaries of about $68,250, but many only work part-time? Something else to consider: This profession should grow at a breakneck clip as practices hire more hygienists to boost their patient roster.

 

CHEESE

Basil, A Natural Antibiotic

Basil is a natural antibiotic that reduces bacteria in the mouth. Basil's essential oils, rosmarinic acid, linalool, and oleanolic acid inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth.

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