TIP SHEET: Dentistry tips for older adults

Older adults have special oral health needs and concerns, but with the right care and hygiene habits, they can keep smiling through the years. The University of Michigan School of Dentistry faculty listed here can address many aspects of oral health in older people. Contact them at the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses given at the end of each item.

CHANGE YOUR HABITS. Even if you’ve had good teeth all your life, your oral health habits need to change as you age, says Jonathan Ship, associate professor of dentistry. Gum tissues tend to recede with age, exposing more tooth surface and larger areas between the teeth. In addition, the exposed root of the tooth is covered with cementum, a mineralized material that is less resistant to decay than tooth enamel. “People with receding gums are not necessarily going to get more cavities, but they’re at greater risk,” says Ship. Careful brushing and flossing become more important than ever, and special devices such as floss threaders and small brushes to clean between teeth

REDUCE YOUR RISK OF INFECTION. Brushing and flossing

LONGER LIFE SPANS PRESENT CHALLENGES for older people and their dentists. The percentage of older Americans without their natural teeth has dropped dramatically—from 70 percent to 40 percent—over the last four decades. But because more people than ever are living into their 80s and beyond, the actual number of older people without teeth has increased, Kenneth Shay noted in a presentation at a recent meeting of the American Dental Association in San Francisco. The longer a person lives without natural teeth, the greater the likelihood of bone loss in the ridge that runs under the gums. This problem is made worse by osteoporosis, a widespread condition among older women. Bone loss under the gums can lead to a host of problems that interfere with the fit of dentures, says Shay, an adjunct associate professor in the School of Dentistry and chief of dental service at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center. For example, the gum tissue

BEFORE YOU TURN OUT THE LIGHT, KISS YOUR DENTURES GOODNIGHT. Removing dentures before going to sleep is a must for good oral health. Yet many denture-wearers have never let their spouses see them toothless. “If you understand that the undersurface of the denture is a great place for bacteria and yeast to grow, you’d want to get that denture out at night and give your mouth a rest,” says Jonathan Ship, associate professor of dentistry. Contact Ship at (734) 764-1543 or jship@umich.edu.

TELL YOUR DENTIST WHAT YOU TAKE. Finding relief from dry mouth, oral irritation, taste changes or gum disease

CARE-GIVERS, OFFER EXTRA HELP. People with physical limitations or memory problems

(29)

U-M News and Information Services University of Michigan

School of DentistryU-M News and Information ServicesUniversity of Michigan