Caring For 65+ Year Old Smiles

BACK IN OUR PARENTS’ AND GRANDPARENTS’ DAYS, GREAT DENTAL CARE WAS A LUXURY, and the chances that one could keep his or her natural teeth healthy and functional for an entire life were “slim to none”. But thankfully that’s all changed, as you know. The remarkable skill set of a dentist like Dr. Adrian Fenderson, combined with the experience of his team and today’s amazing technologies and materials, greatly increases the likelihood that people living today—like us—will keep our teeth for life. It’s fantastic!

Here at our Napa practice, when we visit with you, we can tell that dental treatment decision making isn’t easy for you sometimes. To better ensure that you are comfortable and understand dental services decision making, we’ve set up a simple little framework (explained below). Of course, decision making about such things is always totally in YOUR court… We just want you to have the best information.

Over the last couple of weeks, you’ve noticed that we’ve divided “The Lifetime of A Smile” into 4 distinct phases:

• A 1–20 Year Old Smile
• A 20–40 Year Old Smile
• A 40–65 Year Old Smile
• A 65+ Year Old Smile

We hope you have found the age of YOUR smile—and we know you likely have family members, loved ones, and friends in the other phases. So we invite you to pass the information along by sharing on Facebook!

Here are some Must do’s, Should do’s, & Could do’s

During each day we prioritize our decision making by “must do’s,” “should do’s,” and “could do’s.” The goal here is to make sure you see the difference between the “musts,” the “shoulds,” and the “coulds.”

The list you see below is NOT exhaustive—and, there are no right or wrong answers to what YOU decide to do. We all have different priorities, different wants, and different needs. These posts are starting points for YOUR decision making! And if you have questions, please contact us and we’ll chat.

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Our Post This Time Is About 65+ Year Old Smiles

ALTHOUGH YOUR SMILE MAY BE OLDER, IT CAN STILL BE AMAZING! Most people don’t know, for the most part, losing one’s teeth during one’s golden years has little to do with getting old and a lot to do with gum disease. Gum disease may also be linked to diabetes, cancer, and heart problems.

The Must Do’s

• As you get older, receding gums can expose roots to decay and cavities. The preventative answer? Don’t ever postpone regular professional visits with Dr. Fenderson.
• Some of the dental work in your mouth might be several decades old, greatly increasing the risk of decay setting in around the edges of old fillings or crowns. See Dr. Fenderson to be sure you aren’t at risk.

The Should Do’s

• Today’s implants are beautiful. They look, feel, and function like natural teeth! If you’re missing teeth, advanced restorative implants may be the solution. Talk to us here at All About Smiles!
• Boost YOUR self confidence! A recent study indicates that nearly 90% of dental implant patients who previously wore dentures say confidence is up, and, the procedure was worth repeating.

The Could Do’s

• When it comes to cosmetic, restorative dentistry, there’s very little discomfort and it isn’t complicated. More “seasoned” citizens are keeping their teeth AND beautifying their smiles with cosmetic veneers. And you can too. Talk with Dr. Adrian. He can help you.

Our entire team wants to be your oral health partners! Be sure to connect with us on:

Watch for the last post in this series next week from “The Lifetime of My Smile”, where we’ll talk about children’s 1–20 year old smiles!