Oral and Dental Healthcare of The Elderly.

Are the elderly receiving proper dental care in their nursing home? The fact is that older people in both hospitals and nursing homes may not be receiving good oral care and are at risk for dental problems. You want to ensure that the hospital or nursing home is responsible for providing oral health care to its patients. They have a high initial training for nurses and health care professionals regarding oral care for the elderly. Otherwise, the maintenance of such elderly individuals might be sub-optimal.

Poor Dental Care is the Norm in Many Nursing Homes.

According to studies, an estimated that one-half to three-quarters of all nursing home residents have their teeth into old age. This may be because of greater dental health awareness and fluoridated water. Even though this is good news that seniors today can keep their teeth much longer, the situation has created a predicament for the residents in nursing homes as caregivers often lack the expertise or time needed to maintain good daily dental care. Poor dental care can lead to stroke, arterial disease, and pneumonia. Check to make sure that your nursing home provides on-site professional dental care. Ensure the administrator believes that good dental care is essential to overall health care.

Dental and Oral health care in nursing home residents

A study done on 902 people in nursing homes concluded that oral hygiene was poor. The study was on oral health care in nursing home residents with different cognitive statuses. Forty percent of participants in the impaired group were edentulous, significantly higher than the edentulism rate in the demented group (29%, p = 0.01). Over 60% of the participants lost 16 or more teeth before the examination. Regarding their cognitive status, 82–92% of the participants arrived with one or more caries or retained roots. Dentate participants in the impaired and demented groups averaged about six caries or retained roots, significantly more than 4.7 caries or retained roots in the non-impaired group (p = 0.01).

What is A Dental Crown?

A dental crown is very common in the dental care services a dentist provides. A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” (some refer to crowns as caps) placed over a tooth. The dental crown covers the tooth to restore its shape, size, and strength and improve its appearance. When cemented, the crown will fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

What are Dental Veneers?

Dental Veneers or Porcelain Laminates are wafer-thin shells custom-made to cover your teeth’ surface. Dental veneers or porcelain laminates help change your tooth’s color, shape, size, or length. Dental veneers offer a conservative approach to changing a tooth’s color or shape compared to crowns, but the process is irreversible and costly.

What is Dental Bonding?

Dental bonding is when a tooth-colored resin is applied and hardened with a special light, the material to the tooth, to improve a person’s smile. Bonding is among the easiest and least expensive cosmetic dental procedures. Dental bonding can repair chipped or cracked teeth, close gaps, change the shape of teeth, or be used as a cosmetic alternative to silver amalgam fillings.

Is Dental Anxiety Stopping You From Seeing a Dentist? 

Know you are not alone if you have dental anxiety. Many people worry about going to the dentist. Some people get very nervous and sick to their stomach at the thought of having to go to the dentist. For people with dental anxiety, this can stop them from going to the dentist. However, this can lead to serious dental issues, including infected gums and teeth, dental decay, difficulty chewing, and lack of self-confidence due to bad teeth. 

Here are some tips that may help you with your dental anxiety. Make sure to talk to your dentist about your fears. Try to explain why you are nervous. This way, your dentist can do everything possible to put you at ease. Have your dentist explain what they are going to do. Understanding what is going on may make you feel less nervous about it. 

Timing is essential: Make dental appointments when you feel free of pressure or under added stress, such as in the early morning or on the weekend. You also want to have them book your appointment when the dental office is not at its peak hours. This way, the dentist can spend additional time with you when needed. Sometimes dental anxiety is based on the noise of the drill. Bring headphones to listen to your favorite tunes if that is part of the factor. Work out with the dentist’s hand signals to communicate pain, discomfort, or needing a break. Also, if you feel your dentist is not working with you and your dental fears. Then feel free to switch dentists. A dentist should always listen and try to help you feel at ease.

Dental Insurance plans that have Yearly Maximum Benefits.

When you have a dental PPO or free choice of provider plan, you generally have an annual dollar maximum benefit per person per year. You should pick an insurance plan with the maximum dollar benefit that works well for current and future dental needs. However, there are times when you may need to have more extensive dental care services that exceed your dollar maximum limitation in a given year. As part of dental planning, you should consult with your dentists and, if possible, delay work that would push costs over what your dental plan covers.

For example: If your dental insurance works on a calendar year basis (Jan – Jan), You could start dental service towards the end of the year and finish at the beginning of the following to stay within your maximum limit for your dental care. Apply the same if your plan is subject to other start and end dates. You only need to know this time frame. Call your dental insurance to find out before having more significant dental issues addressed.

Understand the dental plans’ terms and conditions. Before buying any dental insurance dental plan for you or your family, make sure you know and understand what they plan to offer you. Dig into the details of the plan. The plan information should be available to you before buying it online. Dental insurance is an investment, and understanding what you are paying for is in your best interest. You should be able to review the plans, the coverage, limitations, and exclusions before buying them to ensure they will work best for you and your family’s dental needs.

In our challenging economy, you want to ensure you get the most out of your dental insurance plan. One way to do that is to use it. Many people have dental benefits through employment or by buying them independently. However, it often goes unused until a more significant dental issue needs to be addressed. Larger dental issues mean higher dental costs, even with dental insurance.

However, by using your dental insurance plan and doing preventive care (check-ups and cleaning), you can help avoid more extensive dental care needs. Also, many dental insurance plans provide preventive care services for free at a meager cost. Using your dental insurance plan will help you save money and provide you with good oral health.