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The push for the best dental care for elderly patients by Stamford Connecticut dentists.
In the United States today many older people face significant dental problems. Simple care and good attention by a dentist trained to handle the dental problems of the elderly are often all that is required to fix these problems, but a lot of elderly people (because of a lack of money or transportation) don’t get the chance to. Fortunately, Stamford, Connecticut has many excellent dentists that specialize in the treatment of elderly patients. The Stein Dental Group has dentists that specialize in elderly patients, which many dental centers cannot also claim. Just like the issues specific to the dental care of infants and adolescents, there are particular issues relevant to the elderly and it is important to find dentists that have a practice designed around caring for the elderly. Unfortunately, researchers have found that many elderly people are reluctant to leave the dentist they have been seeing for most of their lives, but in some cases this can be a necessity. In Stamford, the Stein Dental Group hopes to treat patients throughout their lives and ensure that dental health is maintained. However, we are specially trained to treat new elderly patients and make them feel at ease. One of the biggest changes facing the elderly is that soft tissues (such as gums and cheeks) lose the ability to stretch and muscles become soft and weak. Furthermore, studies show that the amount of saliva produced is significantly lessened. Adding all these factors together means that chewing becomes difficult. Much like other aspects of the body, the mouth becomes more easily irritated and heals much slower. These are just realities of human life and we’re trained to treat each patient individually, rather than as a number as many other dental clinics do. The most important factor in maintaining dental health into one’s later years is to practice good dental habits throughout life. Even though technology is improving and dentists are able to make up for a lot of mistakes made earlier in life; the best approach is to brush and floss after every meal throughout the years. Once this becomes routine, it’s likely to continue into old age and make the mouth easier to care for, despite the realities of aging. This is one of the critical factors, we at the Stein Dental Group, try to instill in all patients. Some will be patients of ours for life, some will move, but giving all patients excellent care is our goal. As for elderly patients, one of these realities is that the rate of tooth decay increases as a person grows older, despite their dental habits. That isn’t to say that a person with bad dental habits won’t have a faster rate of decay, but the fact is all older people will see an increase in the amount of decay. This is particularly problematic around the gum. The root of the tooth is also especially affected and can become a serious problem because it’s difficult to restore with fillings. The decay quite often reoccurs soon after a filling is placed. Stamford, CT dentists at the Stein Dental Group also recognize that many older people often face periodontal disease. That is red or swollen gums that are prone to bleeding because of pockets that develop between teeth and gums that trap food and debris. This can eventually lead to tooth loss and can be extremely painful. Nerve tissue also begins to weaken around the teeth and gums, which can mean that the body’s natural warning system fails to alert an older person of problems with their teeth. Later in life, teeth also become more brittle and are easier to chip. That is why it’s important to see a Stamford, CT dentist at least twice per year, even as one gets much older. Caring for the teeth of the elderly isn’t necessarily more difficult, but it is different than caring for the teeth of an adult or a child. As always, seeing a specialist trained to recognize the needs of the elderly is preferred.