Seniors
Replacing lost teeth are now easier than before with even more choices than before! There are fixed bridges, partial dentures, full dentures, and then implant supported bridges and dentures! Costly dental work can be protected with these simple ways to keep your "false" teeth healthy and strong. Be sure to visit your dentist regularly to check your remaining teeth and gums for early signs of changes or problems.
Fixed Bridges:
This bonds two or more natural teeth on either side of the lost tooth by crowning or capping each tooth, joined together by a crown in the middle. It is fixed meaning you can not remove it. It is important to keep these teeth clean since they "support" the bridge.
Floss threaders (picture here) help slip the floss under the bridge to clean the underside of the bridge and the sides of the teeth. Interproximal brushes (picture) are small brushes that can be used under the bridge and between the roots of the supporting teeth.
See your dentist immediately if you feel one or more sides of the bridge "loosening". A loose bridge can lead to extensive decay of one or more of the supporting teeth and ultimately the loss of the teeth and/or the bridge.
Partial Dentures:
These can be made of all acrylic with metal wires or of cast metal with acrylic teeth. They are held in the mouth by a combination of suctioning to the palate and ridges of bone where the tooth is lost, holding onto to remaining teeth, and by the muscles in the cheeks.
These are REMOVABLE - meaning they were made to be taken out of the mouth at least once a day and especially throughout the night. This is to relieve the pressure on the soft tissues of the mouth, allowing them to rejuvinate, rebuild, and "breathe". Remove the dentures at least twice a day to thoroughly brush and floss remaining teeth.
Rinse the denture under warm water and gently scrub using a denture brush or a soft brush with soap and water. Plaque and tartar can build up on false teeth, just like they do on natural teeth. Soak them overnight in water, or in a special cleanser, but avoid using vinegar as they will damage the metal compenents of the partial denture.
Full Denture:
These are all acrylic dentures that are only supported by the soft tissues of your mouth - mainly the palate, the gummy ridges where teeth used to be, and the muscles in the mouth. These also need to be taken out of the mouth at least once a day and removed during the night.
This is especially important in the full denture mouth since the amount of the height and depth of gummy/bony ridges determines how well the denture is going to fit. These ridges need the time overnight to rejuvenate. Without this time, ridges lose their height faster and dentures become loose and sore faster.
Dentures are cleaned EVERY DAY using a denture brush or a soft brush with soap, and warm water. A denture cleanser can be used to soak them overnight, as well as a mixture of half water and half vinegar. DO NOT use bleach as they will whiten the pink acrylic parts of the denture.
Implants:
Implants are basically screws imbedded into the jaw bone to act as roots of teeth. Implants can be a single unit or multiple units as when supporting fixed bridges or removable dentures.
If surrounded by natural teeth, a single impalnt would be brushed and flossed along with the natural teeth. When two or more implants are fixed to a bridge - use the floss threaders and interproximal brushes with warm water to clean all around the heads of the implant and under the bridge.
For implants supporting a removable denture - again use the smaller interproximal brushes gently all around the exposed parts of the implant. NEVER use any metal brushes or metal picks on the implant since this will damage the smooth outer surface of the implant making it more succeptible to plaque and tartar build-up.
As the general public gets older, it's also time we got a little wiser! Wiser about our dental health of course! It's time to take a look at the old myths about the aging process on our teeth and see if there really is some "food for thought"!!
Myth #1 "I'm nearly sixth years old, I can't possibly get any more cavities!"
FALSE! Anyone can get cavities as long as they have even one tooth in their mouth! Proper oral hygiene and regular check-ups are as vital at ninety-nine as it was at age one.
Myth $2 "Loose teeth are just a regular part of growing old!"
FALSE! The loosening of teeth is part of gum disease, a slow low-grade constant infection in the gums that destroy the underlying bone. Bone is the foundation for the teeth, and the more bone there is surrounding teeth, the stronger and less mobile the teeth are. Although aging does account for small amounts of bone loss over the years, gum disease occurs when plaque and tartar are not cleaned from the teeth and gums. Again, only proper oral hygiene and regular check-ups will keep gum disease in check.
Myth #3 "I wear dentures so i don't need to see a dentist!"
FALSE! Dentists are trained at looking at the mouth and the surrounding tissues not just teeth! Ill-fitting dentures can cause constant sores in the mouth, improper chewing/digestion, not to mention embarrassment! A dentist can check for any signs of oral pathology, adjust or reline existing dentures, and/or if needed make new dentures or suggestions on how to close spaces caused by missing teeth. They are also great for answering simple questions such as how to clean dentures (gentle brushing with a toothbrush after a meal!) and if one should take dentures out at night. (YES! Soak your dentures overnight in water, gently clean and massage your gums for optimum health!)
Myth #4 "I'm too old to care about the appearance of my teeth. Probably nothing can be done anyway!"
FALSE! Older adults are living much more vital and exciting lives than ever before! So why should you settle for a less-than-happy smile line? Most dental options are available to the elderly including implants, bridgework, cosmetic dentistry, and even braces! Just ask your dentist about these various options and bring back your youthful smile!
Myths about our oral health are misleading as well as potentially harmful. Proper dental home care as well as a professional recall program, will help you keep your teeth for a lifetime!
Remember to never retire your smile!!