{"id":983,"date":"2019-07-01T15:03:04","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T15:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=983"},"modified":"2019-07-01T15:03:04","modified_gmt":"2019-07-01T15:03:04","slug":"common-adult-questions-part-2-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/common-adult-questions-part-2-4\/","title":{"rendered":"COMMON ADULT QUESTIONS \u2013 PART 2\/4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I understand that periodontal disease is a major cause of\ntooth loss in adults, but is there anything I can do about it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gum\ndisease\u2014periodontal disease\u2014often progresses slowly, without pain, over a long\nperiod of time. This is one reason why it is common among older adults. The\nlonger the disease goes undetected and uncontrolled, the more damage it causes\nto gums and other supporting tissues. Although periodontal disease is caused by\nbacteria, other factors can increase the risk or severity of the condition.\nThese include food left between the teeth, smoking, smokeless (spit) tobacco\nuse, badly aligned teeth, ill-fitting bridges or partial dentures, poor diets\nand some systemic diseases such as diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although\nperiodontal disease is common, it can be controlled or arrested. In its early\nstages, it can be reversed. Treatment of advanced cases may require surgery.\nLook for these warning signs and see your dentist if you notice any of them:\nbleeding gums when you brush; red, tender or swollen gums; gums that have\npulled away from the teeth; pus between your teeth and gums when the gums are\npressed; loose teeth or teeth that are moving apart; any change in your bite;\nany change in the fit of your partial dentures; constant bad breath or bad\ntaste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My dentures don\u2019t feel as comfortable as they once did.\nBefore I see the dentist, should I try some different products myself to try to\nimprove them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your\ndentures were made to fit precisely. If they are cared for properly, they do\nnot change shape. They can become loose due to natural changes in the gums and\nbone supporting them. As the jawbone begins to shrink, so do the gums. In\naddition, the teeth wear over time and become less effective during chewing.\nMost dentures should be replaced every 5-8 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 When your dentures do not fit properly, see\nyour dentist as soon as possible so adjustments can be made. Professional\nrelining of the denture may extend its lifespan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do\nnot try to change the fit of your dentures yourself. This can damage them and\nmake them unrepairable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I have full dentures, do I really need to see the\ndentist as often as before?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even\nif you no longer have your natural teeth, you should see your dentist once a\nyear for an oral examination. The dentist will examine your mouth to check for\nany problem with the gum ridges, the tongue and the joints of the jaw, as well\nas screen for oral cancer. For a variety of reasons, many older adults are more\nsusceptible to oral diseases, including oral cancer. About 95 percent of all\ncancers are found in people over age 40. However, many of these cancers are\ntreatable if detected early. Oral tissues are also checked for signs of other\ndiseases that can first manifest themselves in the mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am currently taking medication that my physician\nprescribed for me. Can this affect my dental treatment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nyour dentist asks for your medical history, be sure to provide complete,\nup-to-date information on your health. Inform your dentist if you have\nexperienced recent hospitalization or surgery, or if you have recently been\nill. Also tell the dentist the names, doses and frequency of any medications\nyou are taking, whether prescription or over-the-counter products, and the name\nof your physician. This information will help the dentist to select the most\nsafe and effective method of treatment for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026.to\nbe continued<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. St. Clair\nmaintains a private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to\nhealth-centered family dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to\nsee written about or questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com<\/a>.\nYou can view all previously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I understand that periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth loss in adults, but is there anything I can do about it? Gum disease\u2014periodontal disease\u2014often progresses slowly, without pain, over a long period of time. This is one reason why it is common among older adults. The longer the disease goes undetected and uncontrolled, the more damage it causes to gums and other supporting tissues. Although periodontal disease is caused by bacteria, other factors […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=983"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":992,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983\/revisions\/992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}