Is Grandpa Smiling?

elderly oral health Decatur

At Decatur Smiles in Decatur AL, we pay close attention to trends in both dentistry and health care. We’ve come across some data about how Americans aged sixty-five and older are doing when it comes to the dental health?

The Good News:

The rate of tooth decay in the elderly has decreased in the past thirty years.

The Bad News:

  • 25% of persons age 65+ have no remaining teeth
  • Nearly 20% have untreated tooth decay
  • 10% of adults 65 and over have moderate to severe periodontal disease.
  • There is evidence to suggest that advanced gum disease is linked to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and respiratory disease
  • Most older Americans don’t have dental insurance

Clearly, there is room for improvement. What critical factors will improve the oral health of age 65+ Americans? The National Institutes of Health cite three required components:

  • Improved oral health education for the elderly
  • Seniors practicing effective daily oral hygiene
  • Increased access to dental care1

At Decatur Smiles, we are enthusiastic about providing older patients with comprehensive oral health education and attentive care that addresses the special challenges that impact seniors. These challenges include difficulty brushing and flossing due to arthritis, dry mouth caused by prescription medications, tooth sensitivity, bone recession, and complications due to diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

We want our patients to not only have a healthy smile, but a beautiful one as well. Many of our senior patients have elected to improve their smiles with services such as crowns, inlays/onlays, dental bonding, porcelain veneers, dental implants, and tooth whitening. The majority of our cosmetic dental smile makeover patients are thrilled with their new smile and report that it has improved their life immensely. They feel happier, more attractive, and more confident in social settings.

The team at Decatur Smiles on Decatur provides the full spectrum of general and cosmetic dental procedures for Decatur area patients of all ages including cosmetic dentistry, dental implants and dentures. Schedule an appointment with us today.

Contact Decatur Smiles:

256-350-5820

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1316 Somerville Rd SE Ste 2
Decatur, Alabama
35601

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