Dr. Isabelle Farmer is a practicing dentist at Houston SmileDocs in Texas. A graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Texas Dental School, she went on to start her dental practice in 1984. In this article, she tells us what precautions older patients need to take when caring for their teeth.
As a dentist, my biggest concern for older patients is the medications they are taking and how those medications might be affecting the overall health of their teeth. The biggest reason for this is because many medications actually dry out people’s mouths, which can in turn cause people to become much more susceptible to oral problems, like cavities and decay.
This problem is two-fold, actually, because not only do patients generally begin taking more medications as they get older, but their salivary glands start giving way at the same time. Combining these two factors can cause a greatly diminished salivary flow in the mouth, and you end up with patients who have an increased susceptibility to tooth decay and cavities. We really have to pay attention to that as dentists to ensure that nothing problematic is going on with our older patients.
For anyone who might be going through this, what we generally do is talk to them about using a high-strength fluoride toothpaste to strengthen the surface of their teeth. We may also want to see them more frequently, as far as cleaning their teeth is concerned, just to ensure no problems are creeping up. Another option is giving the patient a fluoride treatment in the practice, which will once again work to strengthen the teeth against decay and cavities.
Over time, patients who suffer from these problems likely to have root surfaces that become exposed in the mouth, and they are seven times more likely to experienced decay of the teeth when compared to those who have porcelain or have teeth that are covered by enamel. So, that is one of the reasons why medication and a reduction in the flow of salivary glands are major issues that we watch out for in older patients.
It becomes harder and harder to get them in to the office to go through dental procedures as they get older. But we need to see them more than ever at this time, which is what makes the situation difficult. So patients older than the age of 50 really need to start paying attention to what is happening in their mouth, especially when considering the medications they are on.
As time goes on, it only becomes harder to get older patients to keep their teeth clean and mouth healthy, so they really need to try to do as much preventative dental work as they can before it is too late. By the time a patient is in his 70s or 80s, it has become a lot more difficult to get procedures done. It is harder physically and financially for a lot of patients to take care of these things, which is why we try to do as much preventative care for older patients as possible here at our practice.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
