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Old 04-09-2017, 02:23 PM #1
Skeezyks Skeezyks is offline
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Skeezyks Skeezyks is offline
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Question Dental Care for the Aging

I recently quit my long-time dentist. I presumably need to find a new one. (There are several within walking distance of my home.) My previous dentist's practice did the 6 month cleanings & x-rays once a year, plus some other stuff. But I'm wondering to what extent all of that is necessary. I presume any new dentist I see is going to want to do at least this much & maybe more. I know at least one of the dental offices close to my home advertises they do x-rays every 6 months. I believe that is excessive & would not do that.

I'll be 69 soon & I do not plan to have any expensive restorative dental work done at this stage of my life. My wife & I used to have dental insurance, but now we no longer do. I do try to take as good care of my teeth as I know how. So how important do members feel the 6 month dental cleanings & annual x-rays are when one is gettin' on in years & does not plan to undertake any expensive restorative dental work at this late stage in life. Thanks!
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Old 04-09-2017, 04:19 PM #2
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Bryanna Bryanna is offline
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Bryanna Bryanna is offline
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Hi Skeezyks,

Whenever and wherever you decide to go, you should call your previous dental office and request them to send all of your radio graphs to the new dentist. Digital radio graphs can be emailed easily. Conventional type radio graphs need to be copied. Either way, your radio graphs belong to you permanently, but only to your dentist for a certain amount of years. Usually 7-13 years depending on where you live. The reason to have all radio graphs transferred is because these images give a dental history which could come in handy sometime down the road.

Irrelevant as to the age of the person, their dental exams and cleanings ideally should be maintained regularly. As we age, older restorations break down and bacteria gets into those micro fractions causing decay. Catching that breakdown early, prevents a big problem from occurring down the road. Also as we age, our bone becomes less dense and our oral tissue more thin predisposing us to loss of jaw bone and receding gums. Both of which could alter the bite and contribute to ill fitting restorations, mobile teeth and gum disease.

Ideally, people without periodontal problems should have a dental examination and their teeth cleaned every 6 months. This benefits the person because something can then be spotted and corrected in it's early stage. People with perio problems usually find it advantageous to be seen 3-4 times a year for exams and cleanings because perio disease is very progressive and can get out of control very quickly. People who have a LOT of major restorative work, like large fillings, crowns, bridges, dental implants.... should be seen every 6 months or less depending on their particular personal oral health care. People with certain medical conditions like chron's disease or other intestinal disorders, strokes, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, poor oral hygiene and those prone to tooth decay would benefit from being seen 3-4 times per year by their dentist.

Radio graphs called bitewings which check for decay in between the teeth are usually done once per year. This is 2-4 xrays and can detect a tiny cavity just starting. A full mouth series of radio graphs consists of 18-20 xrays, depending on the number of teeth the person has, and is generally best to get done every 3-5 years. People who have good oral hygiene, little to moderate dental work, no perio problems, no root canaled teeth, not prone to decay, does not take any medications that contribute to dry mouth or jaw bone disease... can often wait about 5 years in between the full mouth series of radio graphs. Others would benefit from having them taken more frequently in that 3-5 year period.

The least expensive dentistry is the simplest dentistry. So being proactive in oral home care, eating nutritiously and seeing the dentist regularly to monitor your dental health is not only overall less expensive but really money well spent :-)

Many dental offices will offer a senior courtesy and/or a fee courtesy if you pay with cash or check. Just something to keep in mind.

Hope you find this information helpful!
Bryanna




Quote:
Originally Posted by Skeezyks View Post
I recently quit my long-time dentist. I presumably need to find a new one. (There are several within walking distance of my home.) My previous dentist's practice did the 6 month cleanings & x-rays once a year, plus some other stuff. But I'm wondering to what extent all of that is necessary. I presume any new dentist I see is going to want to do at least this much & maybe more. I know at least one of the dental offices close to my home advertises they do x-rays every 6 months. I believe that is excessive & would not do that.

I'll be 69 soon & I do not plan to have any expensive restorative dental work done at this stage of my life. My wife & I used to have dental insurance, but now we no longer do. I do try to take as good care of my teeth as I know how. So how important do members feel the 6 month dental cleanings & annual x-rays are when one is gettin' on in years & does not plan to undertake any expensive restorative dental work at this late stage in life. Thanks!
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Bryanna

***I have been in the dental profession for 4 decades. I am an educator and Certified Dental Assistant extensively experienced in chair side assisting and dental radiography. The information that I provide here is my opinion based on my education and professional experience. It is not meant to be taken as medical advice.***
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Old 04-29-2017, 06:38 PM #3
caroline2 caroline2 is offline
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I'm headed to 79 and I've given up on the "rules" of dental visits etc...quite a long time ago. I have posts here on what I do to keep my mouth healthy. I have a mouthful of dental work from decades back.
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Old 04-29-2017, 06:40 PM #4
caroline2 caroline2 is offline
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Here is a PS from me.

Coconut Oil and Tooth Decay
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