As you age, maintaining good oral health becomes even more crucial to your overall well-being. Seniors face unique challenges when it comes to cavity prevention and management, which can impact both the health and functionality of their teeth — and it's estimated that 96% of those over the age of 65 currently suffer from cavities.
In this article, we'll explore some of the challenges seniors face and offer solutions to help you maintain a healthy smile throughout your golden years.
When a person has lost one or more teeth, their dentist is likely to present them with multiple tooth-replacement options. Although each option may be significantly different, they may all incorporate the use of dental implants.
Here is some information about dental implants and the types of devices they support.
What Is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a titanium device that replaces the missing roots of a lost tooth.
Gingivitis is an unpleasant inflammation of your gums that can precede a more serious infection. It can be traced back to the health of your teeth—namely the oral bacteria that has formed a harmful biofilm (dental plaque) on your teeth. This plaque can harden and become tartar, and the tooth may be actively decaying under this bacteria. Uncontrolled bacteria will also aggravate your gums, leading to gingivitis and more serious periodontal infections.
Dental crowns provide support for teeth that have been worn down by decay, teeth grinding, or other accidents. Many patients choose porcelain dental crowns because they are both durable and beautiful. These are the steps that you can expect to undergo during a porcelain dental crown installation:
1. Cavity Treatment
Many people seek dental crowns due to tooth decay. It's common for cavity treatment to precede the installation of dental crowns.
If you need dental crowns, consider yourself lucky. This means that your teeth are not so far gone they have to be removed and that they can be preserved with a dental crown. Dental crowns can be put on by your regular dentist or you may be referred to a dental crown specialist to get your dental crowns put on.
Use this guide to help you know if you need dental crowns, whether you want to get your current ones looked at or you're thinking of dental crowns for the first time.