Coimbatore : Although the elderly are retaining their dentition longer than in the past, dental morbidity and prevalence of dental diseases continues to be high.
Coimbatore : Although the elderly are retaining their dentition longer than in the past, dental morbidity and prevalence of dental diseases continues to be high. Despite these conditions affecting the elderly being treatable or preventable, many of the elderly do not avail the needed treatment. This may be because of the fact that most of the senior citizens were not introduced to the concept of preventive dentistry at a young age and thus are not inclined to it.
Many still hold the opinion that tooth loss is a normal part of the aging process and is not preventable. While others have adapted to a compromised oral health status and seek treatment only when an emergency arises.
While oral health issues are often perceived to have lesser effects on the general health of a person, poor oral health can lead to diseases like diabetes, obesity and even cardiovascular diseases. How many of us are aware that the germs infested in unhealthy gums can lead to cardiovascular diseases?
Dr. Arshad from 'We Dental' says, “It has become a rarity to see people in 60s or 70s with a good set of teeth. Teeth are also a kind of bone, so it weakens as people get older. Proper oral hygiene practices and timely dental check-up is essential for good general health.”
“Elderly people often complain about taste issues and this is because they swallow food directly due to poor strength of teeth. The mouth is the first place where the digestion process takes place. When the food is chewed, it mixes with various enzymes in the saliva and later these nutrients are absorbed in the stomach. But, when the food is swallowed without chewing, it becomes like fat and nutrients are not properly absorbed,” says Dr. Arshad.
He added that unhealthy gums often lead to tooth loss and it can be avoided through simple dental health practices. However, there are permanent solutions like dental implants to treat such conditions.
“The strength of the teeth depends on the roots. The dental implants follow the same principle. The implant is a metal post that is surgically positioned in the jawbone over which a cap is placed; a permanent artificial tooth is given. This is one of the best procedures for missing teeth. Titanium implant, zirconia implant, conventional implant and basal implant are some of the common implant practices,” explains Dr. Arshad.
Dr. Arshad also mentions that conventional implants involve surgical procedures where the patient would have to wait three to four months for the incision to heal.
“But, today advanced techniques like strategic implants have changed the scenario completely. Through this procedure, patients can start enjoying the benefits of the implant within 72 hours from the procedure. And, the key feature in today's dental advancement is they are 'minimally invasive' leaving the patients get back to normalcy within short span of time", reassures Dr. Arshad.
Speaking about the basic dental issues faced by senior citizens, Dr. Arshad says "As people get older, they accept losing teeth as a normal ageing consequence and do not wish to spend hard-earned money on what they perceive as cosmetic procedures. But the fact is that with today's advanced dental procedures, artificial teeth come at affordable prices with minimally invasive procedures. For example, relishing a crunchy snack like a murukku becomes possible even for a 80-year-old".
"Be it cravings or just general healthy chewable food, the elderly will not have to forego once they open themselves to the possibility of advanced dental procedures. Switching to a liquid diet which does lead to lack of nutrition need not be the only option left", he added.
However, simple daily practices like brushing both in the morning and night, gargling using mouthwash, using a toothbrush with soft bristles and regular dental check-up at least once in three months can help people of all ages to maintain better oral health, advices Dr. Arshad.
“Prevention is better than cure and we could prevent tooth issues at the earliest, by regular dental check-ups,” opines Dr. Arshad.
Dr. Arshad's delight as a dentist stems from putting a smile on the face of senior citizens as well as to ensure their overall good health. And he does it in his simple minimally invasive style, aided by advanced technology at his state-of-the-art clinic at Ramnagar.​
