What Are The Best Ways For Seniors To Look After Their Dental Health

What Are The Best Ways For Seniors To Look After Their Dental Health

Oral health is important for everyone at all stages of one’s life. Nevertheless, everyone ages one day at a time, and before you know it, enough years have passed by, and we find ourselves at the ripe old age of the elderly.

If you or a loved one is a senior, it’s critical that dental health becomes a priority. As our bodies age, we undergo numerous changes within. We develop ailments and become more susceptible to certain conditions that our younger, more physically healthy selves don’t experience at the same rate.

Like our bodies, our mouths – including gums and teeth – endure the same age-related problems.

Common health issues among the elderly

As a senior, there are several dental health problems that one may experience. These include:

  • Dry Mouth
  • Diminished Sense Of Taste
  • Discoloured Teeth
  • Gum Disease
  • Loss Of Teeth
  • Uneven Jawbone
  • Root Canal Issues
  • Sensitive Teeth

Of course, younger patients can experience any of these issues as well. In a similar vein, not all older patients will experience all or any of them. However, they do tend to become more prevalent as we age and our bodies begin to degrade.

Fortunately, you can help reduce the risk of any of these health issues developing with five simple oral health tips.


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Best Ways To Look After Your Dental Implants

Best Ways To Look After Your Dental Implants

Ever since dental implants became readily available, they have transformed the lives of dental patients.

Many people who previously were embarrassed to leave their homes due to the poor appearance of their teeth are now all too happy to speak, eat, and – importantly – smile in the company of others.

Dental implants at Dental O So Gentle

Our dentists at Dental O So Gentle have been amazed by the dramatic and positive transformation that can be achieved with dental implants when it comes to our patients.

And it goes beyond just their teeth.

Their entire demeanours have shifted, and many of them have had the confidence to come out of their shell and be the person they were meant to be without feeling ashamed about how their teeth looked. Many have become as outgoing and confident as they always wanted to be.

Do dental implants always work?

While the dental industry is flush with success stories when it comes to dental implants, not every single dental implant procedure is a success.

Unfortunately, the reality is that every case and every patient is different. Even in instances where the implants don’t have any design faults, implants can fail or require ongoing surgery. Reasons for this can include the health of the patient and other lifestyle factors.


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How Does Smoking Impact Your Suitability For Dental Implants?

How Does Smoking Impact Your Suitability For Dental Implants?

Today, everyone is aware of the risks to one’s health when you smoke. There are many health warnings related to smoking online, on the TV, on the cigarette boxes and provided by medical authorities. But did you know that smoking can impact your suitability for dental implants as well?

In this blog, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the impact of smoking on your ability to receive dental implants.

The impacts of smoking

Most of the focus on the negative health impact of smoking is understandably related to one’s heart and lungs. However, your oral health and in particular your suitability for dental implants is an area that can really be affected as well but does not garner the same amount of attention or focus.

Many patients discover that they may not be suitable for dental implants only once they are in the clinic. Unaware of the impacts of smoking, patients are often disappointed to discover that it may prevent them from receiving the treatment expected.

To be clear, it is not always the case that someone who is a smoker cannot have dental implants. Nor is it the case that dental implants won’t be provided to a smoker for reasons other than health.

The reality is however that medical and health issues caused by smoking can affect dental implant suitability. Even successful implant surgery can be derailed later by continuing to smoke.

So, why is this the case? Let’s dive into some of the specific health issues related to smoking that can impact dental implants being fitted.


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What Are The Best Ways To Look After Your Teeth At Christmas Time?

What Are The Best Ways To Look After Your Teeth At Christmas Time?

The Christmas and holiday season is a period of the year where our mouths are subjected to more ‘abuse’ than normal. We often eat more and drink more, and neither the foods nor beverages we consume are likely to be the healthiest.

So, whether you’re reading this on Christmas Eve or in the middle of June, it’s important that you’re aware of how to best look after your teeth when you need to the most.

How to look after your teeth during the festive season

Avoid excessive sugar

We’re certainly not saying you need to avoid all sugary foods and drinks but consuming too much sugar can increase the risk of developing tooth decay and cavities.

We don’t mean to sound like the Grinch but try keeping your snack and sugary drink intake to a reasonable level over the holidays.

Gift yourself a new toothbrush

Christmas is a period of gift-giving. Why not gift yourself something truly valuable: A new toothbrush! Changing toothbrushes regularly to ensure the bristles are effective will help you develop strong oral hygiene and a healthy mouth.

You can always really indulge yourself – or ask a loved one to put it on your Christmas list – by purchasing a rechargeable, electric or revolving brush head toothbrush.


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Is Extracting Teeth Bad?

Is Extracting Teeth Bad?

When it comes to your teeth, is going au natural the right choice? Many of our patients who experience problems with their teeth wonder about whether it’s better to keep all of your natural teeth or simply extract them.

The simple answer is that while there are instances where removing a tooth instead of treating it is the simpler option, 90% of the time we recommend saving your natural teeth.

Why is it important to keep a full set of teeth?

There are actually a few reasons:

  • Avoiding teeth extraction helps prevent adjacent and opposing teeth from moving or being otherwise negatively impacted.
  • When it comes to chewing, we want to make sure that your chewing forces are spread out over as many teeth as possible.
  • Last, but most definitely not least, we want you to keep a beautiful, full smile!


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Making Oral Cancer History

Making Oral Cancer History

I know; this is a more serious blog topic than we usually tackle but it’s worth talking about. Sadly, chances are we all know someone who’s fought or is fighting against some form of cancer. If we want to be part of making cancer history, building awareness and sharing vital preventative information is the key!

Oral health

At Dental O So Gentle our hygienists and dentists care about your complete health, including oral health and preventing oral cancer. We not only treat your teeth and gums, but we’re trained to look for abnormalities that could affect your greater health. If we notice something amiss, we’ll work together to find answers, offer support and decide on a solution to keep you fit and well.
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Everything You Need to Know About (TMJ) Jaw Pain

Everything You Need to Know About (TMJ) Jaw Pain

What exactly is TMJ (Jaw Pain)?

The TMJ—or Temporomandibular Joint—is located just in front of each of your ears. Basically, it’s a fancy technical term for the jaw joint. This joint is actually quite a unique part of the body because it contains both a hinge and sliding motion. This unique functionality allows us to open and close our mouths and slide our jaw forwards, backwards and to the side.

Not to get too technical again, but the TMJ sits in the hollowed area of the skull called the fossa, and it has a disk to cushion the bone and assist with movement. In order to have movement, the joint has a number of ligaments and muscles.
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Teeth Grinding and It’s Effects (Bruxing)

Teeth Grinding and It’s Effects (Bruxing)

For those of us who aren’t naturally morning people, waking up at any time that ends in AM can be awful! But for those who grind their teeth at night, it can be even worse!

Grinding teeth while you sleep can cause a lot more than just an infuriating noise for those who share your bed/room. You could wake up with a sore jaw or—over time—you might grind down your teeth to stubs.

What causes teeth grinding?

Commonly known causes of teeth grinding – which is also known as bruxism – are stress, anxiety, tension, anger and frustration.
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Bad Breath And How To Get Rid Of It

Bad Breath And How To Get Rid Of It

There are very few things upon which the whole of humanity can agree. But our revulsion towards bad breath can certainly be counted as one.

No one wants bad breath and no one wants to be around someone with bad breath. But is there anything you can do about it? To find out, let’s start at the beginning.

What is bad breath?

Bad breath, or halitosis, is mostly the product of sulphur-producing bacteria, normally living on the surface of the tongue or the throat. The bad odour is caused by the bacterial wastes left in the mouth, as well as decaying food particles and other debris in your mouth. Poor oral hygiene, dry mouth, disease, infection, tobacco use and severe dieting can all contribute to halitosis too, but fortunately, while unpleasant, halitosis is not infectious.
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How To Make Sure You’re Smiling After A Long Flight

How To Make Sure You’re Smiling After A Long Flight

We’ve all seen those airline ads: a glamorous passenger lounging in her First Class seat, being waited on hand and foot. For most of us, however, we tend to turn right upon entering the plane to face the endurance test of playing squashed sardines for hours, trapped in an aluminium canister with hundreds of strangers.

Try as you might, kicking the seat in front of you isn’t going to help your legroom situation. And unless you want to start doling out money for expensive eye masks, good quality noise-cancelling earphones, personal beanbag or blow-up pillows, or dragging along spare clothes to change into upon arrival, it’s hard to land at your destination feeling like anything other than a dishevelled old rag.

Luckily, the dentists at Dental O So Gentle has some good air mileage between them and can offer some handy tips for walking off the plane feeling refreshed. Believe it or not, it’s all about the mouth.
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