Why do we need teeth? Chew Talk Appearance  Maintaining healthy teeth and gums at any age is an important part of preserving your overall good health.

Association between chronic and oral infection  Diabetes  Heart disease  Lung disease  Stroke  Low-birth-weight  Premature births

Lack of good oral health can lead t o:  Chronic pain  Chronic infections  Poor social relationships  Problems in speaking and learning  Malnutrition  Problems in getting employment

Reasons for Toothache  Holes in teeth  Deep repairs  Exposed tooth neck  Teeth Grinding  Gum infection

 Place the brush wrong against the gum line and brush both teeth and gums.  Brush with agitating movement  Do not press the brush too hard It is easiest to brush the same way each time so that all teeth are clean. First up there on the outside and the inside, both on the teeth and gums. Since the same down there.

Protect against oral disease by:  Brushing and flossing twice daily  Limit sweets  Visit your dentist regularly

There are different types of Oral Disease - basically  Tooth Decay  Gum Disease  Dry Mouth  Cancer

Major cause of tooth loss for all ages  Why Seniors? Consume refined carbohydrates Sweet foods, drinks or medications Minimizing Tooth Decay: Substitute: refined sugars/artificial sweeteners Use anti-bacterial mouth rinse to reduce level of bacteria Brush and floss twice daily

Causes of Gum diseases  Gingivitis – inflammation of the gum tissue  Periodontist – destruction of bone and the structures supporting the teeth Common oral problems that may result in tooth loss Respond well to proper oral hygiene routines and treatment by your dentist

Effects of Dry Mouth  Medications common to seniors may decrease saliva production and cause dry mouth  Without saliva the mouth and teeth become more susceptible to infections, ulcerations and decay  Affects: taste, speech, chewing, swallowing, and tolerance to dentures

Oral Cancer  Can develop in the mouth  More likely to develop in older adults who smoke or chew tobacco and/or abuse alcohol  Early diagnosis is crucial  All non-healing sores in the mouth or changes in voice deserve close attention and monitoring

Crowns  Rather than remove a tooth damaged by decay or accident, a cover – known as a crown or cap – can be placed over the remaining tooth  Under local anesthetic, the tooth is reduced in size for the final crown to be cemented onto the tooth  During your next visit, the permanent crown will be cemented onto your tooth

Replacing a lost tooth  Three main types of artificial teeth Dental Implants Dentures Bridge

Dental Implant  Placing metal posts beneath the gum into jaw  Dental implants are frequently used as anchors for partial as well as full dental appliances and dentures.  Dental implants are one option of tooth replacement that actually helps to preserve the patient’s jawbone health.  Implant dentistry methods are tremendously successful. In fact, the current success rate of Osseo integrated Dental Implants falls right around 94 to 98 percent.

Dentures  A removable or partial denture replaces all of the lost teeth in the arch  The denture is held in place by clasping to the remaining adjacent teeth  Two types of dentures are available - complete and partial dentures.  Complete dentures cover your entire upper or lower jaw.

Bridge  A bridge, also known as a fixed partial denture, is a dental restoration used to replace a missing tooth by joining permanently to adjacent teeth or dental implants.  Is a replacement that is cemented to adjacent teeth and cannot be removed  A unit made up of a false tooth and two crowns is custom made to fill the area of the lost tooth and cemented in place

Root Canal  Teeth infected or abscessed can often be saved by performing root canal treatment  An opening is made in your tooth and the infected nerve is removed  After most root canal treatments, the patient will require a crown to support the remaining tooth structure