Geriatric Dentistry

Dental Care gets more and more important and crucial as you get older. Tooth decay, as well as complications that are prevalent with diseases of the elderly, require our senior citizens to schedule regular dental check-ups at least twice a year. Dr. Rimjhim Saran Bhatnagar and her team have the understanding of the needs of the elderly and the expertise and inclination to consult and treat them within the requisite protocol.

Many diseases of the body have symptoms that appear in the oral cavity. Dr. Rimjhim and her team, through regular dental exams, can find evidence of several conditions and diseases in the teeth and gums of the elderly.

We typically deal with the following treatments and conditions in the elderly:

Gum Disease

Gum disease can occur at any age but is more prevalent in the elderly. Diabetes may reduce the senior’s ability to fight the bacteria that gets trapped around the teeth. The gums may become inflamed and teeth become loose.

Dentures

Many older people wear dentures. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one-quarter of all adults age 60 and older do not have their natural teeth. A geriatric dentist has specialized training to properly fit dentures. Dentures that do not fit correctly can cause pain and lead to loss of appetite in the elderly. Loss of appetite will lead to poor nutrition and illness. Dentures need to be refitted regularly because the jaw reshapes itself continually when the teeth are not there to hold it in place.

Loose Tooth

As the gum disease aggravates it leads to the ailing and moving teeth which lead to improper chewing of food and this in long run leads to change in the dietary habits and bowl diseases.

Facial Changes

With complete loss of teeth, the lower part of face shrinks in length which makes wrinkles more prominent and can also lead to a witch chin. Without complete teeth most of the time pronunciation and voice changes, loss of self-confidence happens.