Caring for an Elderly Parent With Special Dental Needs
4 Powerful Ways Dentists Can Help Prevent Dental Work Failure
Joe Lawrence
Many individuals get dental work for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is for cosmetic reasons and other times it may be necessary to preserve damaged teeth. Whether it is one tooth affected or an extensive amount of dentistry solutions combined, most individuals want the work performed to last a long time. Dental work is not a "fix it and forget it" solution. Individuals who have dental work need to ensure that they include dentist appointments in their healthcare regimen. This will improve the likelihood of them having long-term results.
Self-care Education
Dentists are the best resource to use to understand how to protect old and new dental work against failure. It is important to understand that solutions, like restorations to replace missing teeth, require individuals to practice good dental hygiene practices. Dentists and their staff can demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques. They can also offer insight into the signs of dental work failure. The signs will vary and be dependent upon what types of dental work a person has.
Routine Dental Visits
No one should skip routine dental appointments. Individuals who have dental work may get a false sense of security especially if they have restorations such as dental implants or bridges. Prosthetic teeth do not give individuals a pass to not need to go to their dentists. Dental exams can identify problems with dental work such as infection or loosening of implants, fillings, or crowns. These appointments also aid in ensuring that healthy surrounding teeth remain in good condition and free of decay. Dental cleanings remove tartar and plaque, which offers a good defense against tooth decay.
Teeth Grinding Prevention
Dental work solutions are designed to be durable. However, there are some that could get damaged by teeth grinding. Dentists can identify teeth grinding issues by examining the mouth. Individuals who have had this issue for a long time might have tooth damage. Restorations such as veneers, dental bonding, or porcelain crowns could be damaged if a patient grinds their teeth. Their dentists can prescribe custom-made tooth guards to protect their dental work.
Smoking Cessation Assistance
Sometimes individuals temporarily adhere to dentists' recommendations to stop smoking so that they can get cosmetic dentistry solutions such as dental implants. They might encounter challenges with quitting long-term. This can put their oral health and dental work in jeopardy. Smoking can lead to issues such as gum disease, which can lead to issues such as tooth loss. Losing one or more teeth could negatively impact the dental work that has been completed and cause issues such as dental implant failure. Dentists can help with smoking cessation through prescribed medications.
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Caring for an elderly parent tends to be tough enough without the added stress of dealing with dental implants or dentures. But, the prospect is not the end of the world—there are many things you can do to ensure that your parent's dental health is not compromised without having to spend a lot of personal time doing the care yourself. Between working with the right dentist, hiring a service provider for part time work, and giving your parent the tools he or she needs to care for his or her own dental health at home, you'll find that dental health for your loved one isn't so tough or time consuming after all. Hopefully you are able to get the support and information you need right here.